


The Sage Haze

by FaeMoss (windseeker2305)



Category: Original Work
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Family, Fierce loyalty, Fluff and Smut, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Illegal Activities, M/M, Mental Instability, Psychopathology & Sociopathy, Revenge, Romance, Slash(explicit) and Het(implied) Romance, Slow building plot, Violence, Yakuza, bad language, character growth, past psychological trauma and abuse, professional hitmen, windseeker2305
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-25
Updated: 2017-09-21
Packaged: 2018-01-16 23:57:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 34
Words: 302,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1366456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/windseeker2305/pseuds/FaeMoss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Moving to the city from a small town can be scary but also thrilling as Shane soon finds out. You know what else he finds? A rich psycho best friend and the asshole of his dreams. Let's throw in contract killers and Yakuza just for fun!  Multiple slash(explicit) couples and some het(non explicit).<br/>Disclaimer: Characters within are of my own creation. Do not recreate or repost elsewhere without permission.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Episode One

**The Sage Haze**

**Episode One**

“Ugh! What are we doing here again? This place sucks!”

     Tony snorted and watched his best friend turn her nose up at the usual large crowd lined outside the front door of the Sage Haze club. Sheera took one last puff on her cigarette then tossed it to the ground and stamped it out with her five inch black heal.

     “You’re banned from the VIP list, bitch!” exclaimed the guy walking along on the other side of Tony. A slender blond whose blue eyes currently glittered with mock outrage.

     “What’s bugging you?” Tony asked Sheera with narrowed eyes. He noticed she’d been in a pissy mood all damn day. “You usually love coming here.”

     His attention was then drawn back to the man next to him. Said man leered at Sheera as she promptly turned her back on both of them. “She’s only mad because _Marc_ couldn’t get out of working the late shift. At least that’s the excuse he’s using again tonight. Isn’t that right, hun?”

     “I’ve told you several times to stop saying his name like that you stupid fag!” Sheera screeched as she spun around to glare at Damien.

     Damien smirked. “At least I’m not a fag hag,” he called in a sing song voice.

     Once again Sheera’s nose rose into the air. “It’s not my fault the two of you prefer cock over pussy.” She tossed her long black hair over her shoulder and began to walk across the street. Damien sent Tony an eye roll before chasing after the girl.

     Tony decided he would stay out of this argument. They were only playing anyway. It was true he and Damien were gay, and she was a bit of a fag hag, only named so because the three of them had been friends since what seemed like forever. And really, it wasn’t Sheera’s fault he and Damien both turned out to be gay. And at least he wasn’t like Damien.

     Tony usually couldn’t stand flamboyant homosexuals, but he made an exception for Damien because they were best friends and his flamboyancy was a bit... complicated. But unlike the blond, Tony tended to keep his sexual preferences to himself. It wasn’t that he was ashamed of his preferences; he just didn’t go out of his way to advertise it which is probably why he was more often than not without a partner.

     “Tony, come on!” Sheera yelled back when she noticed he was still standing on the sidewalk across the road. “I want to get a few drinks in before I have pick Shane up from the airport!” She then sighed and grumbled to Damien. “Don’t know why Aunt Daisy made him take such a late flight.”

     Tony jogged across the street and caught up to his friends just as they came up to the front of the line where the bouncer stood behind a red velvet rope.

     “Mr. Shrod.” The bouncer smiled at Damien as he unhooked the rope to allow them passage. “Miss Target, Mr. Candon.” As it so happened, Damien was disgustingly wealthy and he owned the Sage Haze, among other lucrative businesses.

     Damien smirked, “just Tony and myself this time.” He turned amused eyes on Sheera, whose mouth had dropped open. “You did say this place sucked.”

     “You’re evil!” she shrieked. “You wouldn’t dare leave me out here!”

     Damien laughed and entwined their arms. “No. But only because I know you’d burn the place down.”

     “Damn straight.”

     As soon as they were inside, Sheera flounced off to the bar, promising to bring back drinks to their table; a table that was always reserved and used by their group of friends.

     “Hey, Damien?”

     “Hmm?” the blond’s blue eyes were already roving around the three-tiered club, already searching for fresh disposable meat as they slid into the large round booth on the edge of the dance floor.

     “Did you hear from Caleb and Mai? They coming tonight or what?”

     “They said they were. Tony, do me a favor…”

     Green eyes narrowed slightly in question and he rose a black eyebrow when Damien grinned at him. “What already?”

     “Do me a favor and get laid tonight. I know it’s been too long…” Damien wagged his fingers flirtatiously before sliding out of the booth and disappearing into the crowd.

     “Fucker.”

    “Tony!”

     A short Japanese woman came running out of the dancing crowd and up to the table, her long black hair bouncing around her smiling face. She threw her arms around his neck and planted a wet kiss to his cheek. She pulled back giggling and settled beside him just as her boyfriend, the tallest black man Tony had ever met, arrived at the table.

     “Tony, my man!” Caleb slapped hands with him before sliding in beside Mai.

     “Did you two just get here?” he asked Caleb as he glanced at giggling girl beside him. “Cause Mai looks like she’s had one too many already.”

     “Naw. We’ve been here for a while,” he flashed a white grin, “getting our groove on.”

     “Figures.”

     “Ah, what’s wrong, Tony? You sound depressed.” Mai commented. She quickly snatched up one of the drinks Sheera returned with.

     “He’s been without a partner for about four months,” Sheera said as she slid in where Damien vacated. “What do you think is wrong?”

     “Really, man? Four months?” Caleb’s disbelieving owlish expression only aggravated Tony more.

     “I’ve just been working a lot more recently.” Tony growled out. “I’m tired, that’s all. And to be honest, I’m sick of one-nighters.”

     “But four months, man…”

     “ _Baka_!” Mai slapped the back of Caleb’s head before turning back to him. “You don’t seem tired. In fact you’ve been acting very restless…”

     Tony sighed as he sat back. He knew his friends meant well but sometimes it was so aggravating having people who could read each other so well around all the time. Especially Mai. She had the uncanny ability of being able to read anyone, and was usually right about most things. The thing was… he was restless. But he didn’t know why.

     Thinking he didn’t want his lack of love life being the topic of discussion right now, he turned to Sheera, intent on changing the subject. “So why are you picking your cousin up from the airport?”

     Sheera gave a heavy sigh and rolled her eyes. “Mom thought it would make things easier on Shane. Having someone closer to his own age around at first, make him more comfortable.”

     “Why’d she ask you then? You make everyone uncomfortable.” Caleb quickly moved his legs from under the table before Sheera could answer with a kick.

     “School starts in two days,” Mai began with a frown. “Shouldn’t he have come up long before now to get settled in before classes start? He missed Fish Week. He’s staying with you guys, right?”

     Sheera nodded. “He didn’t want to, but Aunt Daisy is really protective and she wouldn’t agree to let him attend Allmsted unless he stayed with us.” Sheera took a drink, and hummed her pleasure at the taste before going on. “Knowing my little cousin, Shane’s not going to stick around for long. He’ll find his own place soon.”

     “Independent?” Tony inquired.

     “Very. Annoys my aunt so much. I’m really surprised he managed to move out of that house at all.”

     “And why’s he coming so late again?”

     “Aunt Daisy. Wanted as much time with him as she could get before he had to be here before classes start… Hey, I want him to have fun here. You guys will treat him right, won’t you?”

     “Of course!” Mai immediately answered.

     “No sweat, Sheera.”

     Tony smiled. Sheera was usually very irritable but when it came to family she was the best. And this was her cousin, whom she had a fabulous relationship with. Sheera talked about him often. “Exactly how are we supposed to treat him?”

     “He wont know anyone up here. He’s the only one from his high school coming to Allmsted, so he’ll have no friends for a little bit. I thought he could hang with us for a while until he found some friends his own age. He’s pretty outgoing…”

     “Hell yeah!” Caleb enthused. “Let’s see how much trouble we can get him into.”

     “That’s not what I meant!” Sheera snapped.

     Tony stayed at their table, nursing a beer, watching his friends come and go for a while. Just as he finished off his beer and pushed the empty glass away, he spotted Damien waving at him from the second floor, and once Tony’s attention was caught, the blond then pointed to a man standing a few feet away from him and wagged his eyebrows. Tony replied by looking away. He long ago learned that anyone Damien thought would be a good match for him, usually ended up being the exact opposite.

     “I’m going.” He stood, surprising Sheera, the only one who sat with him.

     “What? But it’s still so early!”

     “I’ve got work early tomorrow.”

   Sheera gave him an odd look and Tony hoped she would leave it and let him go without an argument. Finally she nodded, but surprised him when she stood. “Come have a cig with me first though.”

     “Sure.”

     Once they were outside, Sheera passed him a cigarette before lighting up her own. “Passing out cancer sticks isn’t a great way to show how much you care,” he said before taking a long drag.

     “Shut up. You wanted it.”

     Tony leaned back against the wall, looked up at the sky, and half listened to Sheera go on and on about her current boyfriend. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about what was going on in her life. It was the simple fact that he thought her boyfriend was nothing but a dick who certainly did not deserve a woman like her. And by the way she was complaining about the ass right now, he didn’t know how Sheera hadn’t come to that conclusion yet.

     “You’re not listening!” she suddenly yelled in his face, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

     “Sorry, I was just-”

     Her phone went off then and she ignored him to answer it. “Shane!” She grinned at Tony, once again reminding him how much she adored her cousin. She was genuinely happy to hear from him. And it was so odd to see. Not many people could bring out that type of emotion from her. Tony thought Shane must be some special kid. Curious, he tuned into the one-sided conversation.

     “Are you calling me from the plane? How close are you? Will the flight land on time?” Sheera listened to the reply and frowned. “Some planes have phones on them, smart ass! Don’t be a dick!”

     Tony’s chuckle earned him an elbow in his ribs. “Fuck, She! That hurt. I’ve still got three bruises around there from the last few times you elbowed me.”

     Sheera shushed him and returned to her call. “Hmm? Oh, I was talking to Tony. A nobody.”

     “Very fucking funny.” Tony threw down his cigarette and ignored her twitters.

     “…so wait,” she went on to her cousin. “If you’re not on the plane, then where are you? You’re supposed to be thousands of feet in the air right now…” a moment of silence, and then, “Really! That’s great!” She turned to Tony, “he’s come in early.”

     “Which means he’s already at the airport, indicating he needs you to pick him up now.”

     “Right. Sit tight, Shane. We’re on our way to get you… I’ll call you when we get there… Huh? Oh, I’m bringing the nobody with me… Calm down, Shane. Tony doesn’t bite. It’ll be fine.” And with that she cut the call off, and was already heading back into the club.

     “Sheera! I never volunteered to go with you,” Tony reminded and then ground his teeth together when it was obvious she wasn’t listening. She ran into the club, no doubt to grab her purse, and to tell their friends where they were headed. Tony had half a mind to take off right now and be gone before she came back out.

     But it was late, the airport was nearly an hour away, and Tony really didn’t want Sheera to have to drive that length alone. So he stayed and waited by her car.

     “You were there right when I said I had to work early in the morning?” he drawled when they were in her car and speeding down the road towards the highway.

     When she didn’t answer, Tony looked over and was surprised to find her scowling at the road and her fingers danced over the steering wheel in agitation.

     “What’s wrong?”

     “Shane.”

     “And? You seemed happy he’s coming.”

     “I’m thrilled, but… He sounded out of it. Something’s wrong. He didn’t sound like he usually does.”

     “Maybe he’s only nervous. Starting college, moving to a new city, having to rely on other people at the start… it’s bound to get to anybody. Especially someone who’s usually independent.”

     “No. Shane’s one to take things in stride. That’s what I love about him. But his voice… something is definitely wrong.”

     Tony inwardly groaned. If there was one thing he hated, it was drama. The kid hadn’t been in town for an hour, and already he was creating drama. However, Tony had been a friend to Sheera for like forever and he met her little cousin once before. But that had been years ago when Shane was four or five. One thing Tony did remember was Shane had been a very happy child and had loved chasing his older cousin and her friends around, eager to try new things out. Tony had thought the kid had no fear….

     “Whatever it is, we’ll sort it out.”

     Sheera shifted her eyes from the road and gave him a relieved smile. “Thanks Tony.”

    “Wake me up when we get there,” He told her and reclined the back of his seat. He hadn’t really planned on sleeping, but the next thing he knew, Sheera was shaking him as she pulled up to one of the airport’s tollbooths.

     Tony hated airports. Absolutely abhorred them. Flying he didn’t mind. No, it was simply the chaotic trip through the mazes people liked to call airports. He was always stressed by the time he reached his gates, and always thanking God the chaos was over with when he could sink into his seat on a plane and close his eyes. He wasn’t sure exactly what bothered him so much about the place. Maybe it was the massive amounts of people that were always around; the way people rushed from here to there, in extreme urgency… yeah, that was exactly it. He hated large hurried crowds in an environment that simply screamed stressful.

     “Please tell me we don’t have to go in,” he begged.

     “He’s waiting outside for us.”

     “That’s a blessing.”

     A few minutes later, they made their way into the arrival pickup area of the airline Shane had used and Sheera promptly pulled over. There weren’t many people standing out side waiting, and none of them seemed to be Shane. Two women stood together under a light sharing a cigarette and one elderly man sat on a bench with a suitcase at his feet. There was no eighteen year old to be seen.

     “Where is he? Said he’d be outside,” Sheera murmured as she opened her door. Tony muttered to himself as he reached over and pushed the button that would open the trunk before sliding out of the car.

     Movement in the shadows farther down the walk caught his attention and as Tony turned he briefly caught sight of a slender guy dressed in black with a duffle bag hanging off each of his shoulders. He had a black baseball cap pulled low over his eyes, obscuring his face. The moment he caught sight of Tony looking, the guy backed away into the shadows again.

      “Over there.” Tony nodded over to him. Sheera started walking over. Tony followed. If that wasn’t Shane, then he didn’t want to leave Sheera approaching some moody stranger.

     “Shane?”

     The moment the guy heard her voice, his head popped back out of the shadow. “Sheera?”

     “Hey!” Sheera hurried over and pulled Shane into the light and threw her arms around him. “How was your flight? Did you get to eat? Where’s all your stuff?”

     “Sheera, le’go. Can’t breathe…” the kid pulled back. Tony noticed he did so with a wince.

     “I’m so happy you’re here, Shane. I can’t wait to show you around!”

     “Your exuberance is a bit sickening, cuz. Especially for the hour.”

     Tony snorted his agreement, which drew the two family members’ attentions. “He’s right. It’s late. I have an early shift tomorrow. Let’s go.” Tony reached out and grabbed Shane’s bags from his slender shoulders before the kid could say anything and was already walking back to the car, keeping an ear focused on the two as they followed him.

     “What’s with the hat, Shane? I remember you never liked to cover your hair,” Sheera was saying playfully. “You’ve got such pretty hair, too. And I can’t see your eyes either-”

     “Leave it.” The force of Shane’s voice had Tony peering over his shoulder as he dumped the bags into the trunk. “Hey! Watch what you’re doing! Don’t just throw my stuff around!”

     One black eyebrow rose as he studied the boy who spoke so forcefully, but who kept his gaze locked on the road. “It’s fine, kid. Didn’t hurt anything.”

     “Still…” Shane rounded the car and slipped into the backseat on the driver’s side and shut the door, crossing his arms and dropping his chin to his chest. Sheera and Tony shared a look over the top of the car.

    “Something’s wrong,” she mouthed to him.

     _Yeah. Your cousin is a spoiled brat who needs a swift kick in the ass…_ Instead of speaking his thoughts, Tony only shrugged. He opened the door and just as he was sliding in, he caught sight of something he thought was partly the reason for Shane’s attitude. The light from the walkway illuminated half of Shane’s face, and even though the kid was slouched forward, Tony caught sight of bruising surrounding his shadowed eyes. That was probably also the reason why he was wearing a ball cap and keeping it low so that they couldn’t see his face clearly. It would also explain why he snapped at Sheera when she tried to pull the hat off. _What the hell happened to him?_

     “Sheera, you’re going back to the Haze, right?” Tony asked after several miles of silence. “I need to get my car.”

     “Of course, sweetie.”

     “I hate when you call me that. I’m not Damien…”

     “Yeah, I know.”

     “You’re a bitch.”

     “I know that too.”

     More miles passed with more silence. It was so quiet Tony forgot someone was in the back seat until Shane shifted slightly and caught his attention. From the corner of his eye, Tony clearly saw the guy was staring at him, but when he turned in his seat to face Shane fully, the kid immediately turned to look out the window.

     “You need gas,” Tony said after returning his gaze to the front and catching sight of the gaslight.

     “We’re fine.”

     Tony snorted. “You said that last time. And what happened? You rushed to work the next morning and forgot to get gas on the way. Just pull over and get gas. I don’t want to have to save your ass again.”

     Tony grinned and bent his arms behind his head as Sheera growled like a wild cat and steered the vehicle off the highway and towards the nearest gas station.

     “I’ll pump for you,” he said as Sheera pulled in next to a pump.

     “I got it, Tony. Geez, just cause I’m a woman…”

     “Really? When did that happen?”

     He heard an amused snort come from the back seat and grinned at Sheera. She then flipped him off before climbing out of the car.

     Tony expected Shane to remain quiet, so when he started talking, it was a surprise. “Are you and Sheera dating?”

     “Hell no!” Tony twisted around with a grimace. “What made you think that?” Tony was, of course, forgetting Sheera’s cousin had no idea he preferred guys.

     Shane’s jaw clenched tightly as if he were trying to keep an outburst in, and he saw the slighter man’s fists clench onto his knees. Finally it seemed Shane couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Why the fuck not? She not good enough for you or something? Why’d you make it sound like that?”

     “Calm the hell down. You’re misunderstanding, kid.”

     “And stop calling me a fucking kid! I’m eighteen, asshole! And what’s wrong with Sheera, anyway?”

     Tony sighed and ignored the brat’s pissed off attitude. It was easy to ignore when he caught sight of the bruising again. “Nothing’s wrong with her. It’s just not like that between us. Could never be.” However, Tony often thought that if Sheera were a man, then maybe he might have tried to date her. Usually, when she wasn’t being excessively bitchy the woman had a great personality…

     Tony watched Shane turn away as Sheera began moving off to go inside the gas station, probably to buy chocolate, as she always did. As soon as the shop door closed behind her, Tony reached back and grabbed the cap off Shane’s head before the brat could react.

     “What happened to you? I hope you don’t think a stupid hat is going to keep Sheera from seeing those bruises.”

     Bruises worse now that the hat was gone. Tony hadn’t noticed until now how well Shane had been able to keep the damage from showing. It was the first time he noticed the brat’s lip was busted and swollen like hell, both eyes were yellowish blue, and the entire left side of his face had taken a beating.

     “Please give it back.” Shane whispered and pressed back against his seat as far as he could go. “It’s not so bad.”

     Tony was suddenly gripped with a burning anger at seeing his friend’s little cousin so badly beat up. He reached out and grabbed Shane’s chin, jerking until Shane was looking at him. When their eyes met for the first time that night, Tony’s hand dropped like a ton of bricks, and he actually forgot how to breathe. Jesus! The brat had gorgeous jewels for eyes. Deep soulful sapphire orbs… large eyes that widened in surprise at being scrutinized so intensely by his own.

     _Fuck, Tony. He’s Sheera’s cousin!_ He had to remind himself of that after taking in the rest of the guy’s battered face and realizing that face would be as gorgeous as his eyes once the bruising had faded.

     Tony tossed back the hat. “What the fuck happened?”

       Shane pulled the hat on and shrugged. “A farewell present. Look, can we drop this. It’s not any of your business, anyway.”

     “Are you beat up anywhere else?”

     Tony watched those gorgeous eyes explode in temper and really enjoyed seeing such a hot look. “Fuck off, dude! It’s not your business-”

     Tony grinned as he stretched out his arm towards him again. And because Shane thought his hat was in danger, the brat reached up to protect it, leaving the rest of his body without protection. Tony grabbed Shane’s shirt and jerked him forward against his seat belt. The cry of pain that followed was answer enough for Tony. Clearly the boy had been beaten up all over.

     “Just don’t tell Sheera. I don’t like her to worry,” Shane mumbled as he shifted and loosened the seat belt. “And like I said… none of your fucking business.”

     Tony let it slide. The kid was right. It wasn’t his business and he didn’t know why he had stuck his nose into it in the first place.

     “Whatever you like,” he replied softly. Tony settled back and closed his eyes, prepared to sleep back to the Sage Haze. Only those startled blue eyes continued to interfere with him trying to black out his thoughts.

     Sheera returned, for which he was very grateful, and she tossed a sports drink back to Shane, then tossed an energy drink to Tony, who took it, opened it, and chugged it before he knew what he was doing.

     “Dammit, Sheera,” he muttered, annoyed with himself. “I told you I have an early shift.”

     “I only bought it. I didn’t make you drink it.” She precariously steered away from the gas station and back onto the highway before speaking again. “Besides it’s only one…”

     Tony groaned and rubbed his eyes. “I’m going to call in tomorrow. I can’t work if I don’t get enough sleep. I’ll end up blowing something up.”    

     “That’s the spirit!”

     “You are solely responsible for my financial failings.”

     “No way! Damien is worse than I am.” Sheera’s phone went off then, and she asked him to answer for her. Tony hoped it wasn’t Marc, otherwise he was going to answer, then promptly disconnect, regardless of the punishment he would receive from Sheera. Fortunately it was Damien.

     “You’re still at Haze, Damien?” he said into the phone, after recognizing the background noise. “I was sure you would have picked up a guy already to drag him off for one of those quick fucks I know you’re always fond of.”

     Sheera elbowed him in the arm, then looked up into the rearview mirror. “What? He said he’s not a kid. Right?” Tony looked back to find blue eyes staring at him in astonishment. Shane numbly nodded and then quickly looked away.

     _“… HELLO? I DEMAND ATTENTION HERE!”_ Damien’s voice came out from the cell’s earpiece loud and clear.

     “Alright, already. What do you want?”

     _“The reason why I’m not having my brains fucked out right now is because we’re all waiting for you guys to come back with Sheera’s cousin so we can meet him. How far away are you?”_

“Ah… I don’t think that’s a good idea…”

     _“And why not? Are you saying no to me, Tony? You know it’s never healthy to say no to me.”_

“Look, it’s late. He’s probably not up for it.”

     _“I DON’T CARE! WE’RE WAITING!”_

Tony pulled the cell away from his ear as it went dead. “Christ, he’s such a drama queen.” He turned to Sheera. “They’re waiting to meet Shane at Haze.”

     “That’s great!”

     Tony sighed. He wasn’t going to argue, knowing he would get nowhere that way. However, he was surprised when Shane didn’t speak up. He was sure the brat didn’t want to go anywhere where there were a lot of people. Especially looking the way he was right now.

     Surprisingly the club was empty when they got there. “He must have closed it early.”

     “Papa Shrod is not going to be happy with him for that,” was Sheera’s opinion as she dragged Shane towards the door. She was so excited that she continually missed the bruises hidden by the shadows created by the baseball cap. Though Shane was good at hiding it. He avoided any and all bright spots created by the lights around the outside of the club, and pulled away from Sheera every time she tried getting close to his face.

     “Hey, where’s the bathroom?” Shane asked him the moment they stepped inside and Sheera rushed off to go find Mai. Unable to help himself, Tom let his green eyes travel the length of him, noticing Shane’s height brought the top of his head only up to his nose.

     “You’re short.”

     “Fuck you, dude. I’m still growing.” Tony was pleased Shane’s retort was full of amusement. This was the cousin he had expected to meet after everything Sheera had told them about him. “Just tell me where the bathroom is before I’m surrounded.”

     Tony nodded off behind him. “Exactly where the bright sign reading bathroom is.”

     Without a reply, Shane turned and walked away, flipping the bird as he went. Tony laughed out loud.

     “You’re laughing,” Mai said as she and Sheera appeared beside him. “Something good must have happened.”

     “Shane, of course. That’s the reaction he has in everyone, except…” Sheera trailed off and frowned.

    “I know what’s wrong with him,” Tony told her after a moment of deliberation. It was easy to see Shane was embarrassed because he’d been beaten up, which was probably why he was acting like a brat. And seeing the damage, it was also easy to see why the kid was being so standoffish. Telling Sheera before she saw for herself was best. Otherwise she’d make a big scene over it and that wasn’t going to help anyone.

     “How do you know? What is it?”

     “It looks like he got into a fight before flying up, or something. He’s got bruises all over his face, Sheera.”

     “WHAT?!”

     “Look. He’s embarrassed, so tone it down. That’s probably why he’s acting strangely.”

     “Tony! You just told me my baby cousin is beat up!”

       He sighed in exasperation and looked to Mai for some help.

     “Sheera, let’s introduce ourselves, you can take him home so he can sleep, and then tomorrow you can fawn all over him when it’s just you two. Isn’t that what you would want if you were in his shoes?”

     _God bless you, Mai._ Tony couldn’t have said it better himself.

     Sheera blew out a breath before nodding. “You’re right.” She pulled out another cigarette. Since the club was closed, Damien allowed smoking inside after hours. “I’d want to keep it to myself...”  

     Tony wandered off then looking for Caleb and Damien. He found Caleb spread across the seat of a booth. His long legs stretched out and held up by a random chair. Tony kicked the chair away and grinned when Caleb opened his eyes and glared.

     “What the fuck, man?”

     “I’m staying up. So are you.”

     Caleb sat up. “Thought you had to work.”

     “Sheera got me to drink an energy drink, so I’m up for hours.” As he said this, Tony wasn’t so sure it was actually the drink that had suddenly given him the energy he knew would last throughout the night. “Anyway, I’m calling in tomorrow.”

     “Tony, go and check on him at least!” Sheera called out.

     “Shit.”

     “What’s up? Check on who?”

    “Shane. He’s in the bathroom. He got into a fight or something… so now she’s worried. He’s eighteen, for chrissake’s.”

     “Just go have a look.” Tony glared at Caleb for saying it in that exact way. Noticing the intense glare, Caleb sat forward. “What’s up with the look, man?”

     “How to put this simply… Sheera’s cousin in an eighteen year old with the face of an angel… a bruised angel anyway.”

     “Ah… and it’s been four months.” Caleb said knowingly.

     Tony pushed away from the table with a growl, “get over that already. Not everyone needs sex in order to survive like you do.”

     “Tony!”

     “I’m going, woman!”

     Tony ignored Caleb’s wagging eyebrows and headed for the bathroom. He was only going to stick his head in and make sure the kid hadn’t somehow drowned in the urinals, but when he crossed the thresh hold, he was then frozen on the spot.

     The baseball cap was gone again, but now in the light Tony could appreciate what Sheera had commented before. The guy did have great hair. It was a dirty blond, with a lot of natural highlights spread throughout. Shane’s hair flew out in all directions, even though Tony was sure the brat didn’t keep like that normally.

     Moving on… because he was so going to stand there and enjoy the view for as long as he could… Shane had removed his black jacket and was only in black slacks and a dark blue long sleeved t-shirt. And that shirt was being held up to his chin so that Shane could gently run his fingers over the scattering of dark bruises covering the front of his torso. Tony had a perfect view. Even though Shane was standing with his back to the door, he was facing one of the mirrors. The brat didn’t see him standing still and ogling, because he was looking down and not staring at his reflection. Tony was staring at the reflection. The reflections of a toned front that obviously screamed sportsman. Tony shut his eyes in agony. God, what he would give to be able to touch…

     “Fuckers,” Shane suddenly hissed and Tony’s eyes flew open to see the brat wince when he touched one particularly large welt on his side. “Ever see them again…”

     “What are you going to do, brat?” Tony asked as he walked in, and delighted in the deer caught in the headlights looked aimed at him. “You obviously didn’t do a good job of protecting yourself the first time.”

     “There were four of them,” Shane ground out, “and one of me.”

     He dropped his hand to let his shirt fall down, but Tony was having none of that. Besides, he really was concerned. Now that he was standing directly in front of Shane, he could see the damage better, and it looked worse up close than it had from the reflection. He felt unusually angry as he knelt and studied the bruises on Shane’s stomach and chest.

     “Hey, what are you-”

     “Just let me see. I’m already down on my knees.” Despite his anger, Tony took great pleasure in seeing the brat blushing furiously at his words. “Hold still.”

     “Whatever.” The flat tone nearly had Tony grinning, but he was intent on studying the bruises as he lifted his fingers to the bruised tender flesh.

     “When did this happen?”

     “Do you really care?”

     “Suppose I do. You’re Sheera’s cousin… and besides, four against one pisses me the fuck off.”

     “Happened couple of days ago…” Tony looked up into his face, saw he was looking away, biting his lip as Tony pushed and prodded. But something was strange about the look in the brat’s blue eyes. And when Tony slid his whole hand over and lightly touched the colored skin with his palm, the brat’s breath hitched and his face flushed more.

     “Sorry. Did that hurt?” Tony asked and studied the blue eyes.

     “Ye- yeah.”

 _Liar!_ Jesus, but Tony saw the lie clearly in Shane’s eyes. He hadn’t applied any pressure at all when Shane had made that sound, and secondly, those gorgeous eyes were so expressive and Tony could recognize arousal when he saw it. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. Did this mean the brat liked men? Or was he simply reacting to gently hands caressing his skin?

     It was probably a blessing that Damien decided to make his entrance just then, because Tony wasn’t sure if he could have stopped himself from finding out a definite answer. “Tony! You bastard!” The blond rushed over and completely ignored the mortified brat and glared down at him with his hands on his slender hips.

     “Calm down, Damien,” he began.

     “Calm down! CALM DOWN! You’re already on your fucking knees and he hasn’t even been here for ten minutes. You didn’t even give me a chance-”

     Tony suddenly stood and towered over his friend, glowering at him and effectively cutting off his rant. “Did you even look at his face?” he asked Damien and wondered how much Shane had picked up from Damien’s screeching. He wondered if the brat thought Damien was only joking.

     “Well, no… I was too busy noticing you were about to blow him!”

     “Damien, do me a favor. Shut up and go get your makeup kit.”

     The blond cut off his rant, snapping his teeth together, and finally looked at Shane’s face, before trailing his eyes down the brat’s visible front and his eyes grew to saucers. “Oh, hun, what happened to you? You poor thing!”

     Tony studied Shane as he was being fawned over and couldn’t help but feel pleased with the brat’s response. His eyes shone with exasperated amusement, though every once in a while they would get all shy when shifting to look at him.

     “Hey, man. That tickles,” Shane was saying as Damien started to poke an area of his stomach not injured. Tony slapped Damien’s hand away.

   The blond looked amused, “staking claim already, Tony?”

     “That’s not it at all. The guy needs to get fixed up, and you molesting him isn’t going help.”

     “But you know me…” then his attention returned to Shane, “sorry hun, but you’re not my type.”

     Shane snorted. “Not offended. Promise.”

     “Can you get your make up and fix his face?” Tony asked again.

     “Hey wait a minute. No one is putting any makeup on my face!”

     “Fine then. Let’s go. I know Sheera is going to explode in here at any moment. Worried about the innocence of her poor baby cousin…” Tony shrugged and left Shane with Damien, smirking when he looked over his shoulder to find Shane watching him walk away with an unreadable expression.

     “Where’s Shane?” was the first thing demanded when he stepped out of the bathroom.

     “In the bathroom with Damien.”

     “YOU LEFT HIM WITH OUR QUEEN?!” she screeched. Tony groaned and rubbed his ears as he moved away.

     “I may have no hearing left…”

     “FAG HAG!” Damien yelled from within the bathroom, and then when he and Shane emerged, he pointedly looked at Tony. “Besides, Tony’s the one you should be worried about. He was the one down on his knees in front of your cute baby cousin when I walked in.”

     _Oh Goddammit!_ Tony jumped out of his seat and took off running just as a pointed heel nearly connected with the side of his head. “It wasn’t like that! Hey, brat, tell her!” Tony called as he spotted the scary Sheera chasing right behind him.

     “Stop calling me brat, and maybe I will.”

     Tony gave up on thinking he was going to get help when he noticed the rest of his friends had already crowded around the grinning boy, introducing themselves, leaving him all alone to deal with his furious best friend who somehow had managed to remove the other shoe while running full out at the same time.

     “Sheera I was only checking his bruises! I swear! He’s got them everywhere.”

     Apparently it was the right thing to say because Sheera left the chase and went back to Shane. When Tony was sure she wasn’t going to come after him again, he then made his way, slowly, back to the group and noticed Sheera was just barely restraining herself from fawning all over Shane.

     Everyone commented on his bruises but it was just light teasing and that did a lot to calm the guy down and help him relax. Shane didn’t have any problems at all adapting himself into the group once he realized no one was there to hurt him, or more importantly, criticize him for something Tony had yet to figure out what that was.

     Sheera was looking exceptionally pleased. Tony knew she was happy her cousin fit in with their group so well, but also that Mai, Caleb, and Damien seemed to really like Shane as well. Tony supposed he could see why the brat had been accepted so easily. Not only was it because he was Sheera’s cousin and she had asked, but mostly it was because the kid was hard not to like. He smiled a lot, easily slid in with the group’s banter, and wasn’t afraid to talk straight with any of them. It was refreshing watching him interact with them. He was some years younger, but strangely that didn’t seem to matter to any of them. The group liked that too.

     It was nearing three in the morning; they were sitting at the regular reserved table, when Shane told Sheera they needed to go. It was obvious the kid was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. Once again Tony kind of found himself lost in those eyes…. It should be illegal for eyes to be that big and blue.

     Damien’s kick broke him out of that thought and Tony realized he was being spoken to. “You going to say goodbye or are you going to keep staring him down?”

     “Shut up.” He said to the blond. “See you two later.”

    Sheera blew him a kiss and flounced away. Tony raised an eyebrow when Shane hung back and pinned him with a look, indecision swimming in those eyes. Tony gripped his glass of water a little more tightly when the brat approached him, looking adorably nervous.

     “I, ah... Sorry for being such a dick to you when we first met. At the airport…”

     Tony waved his apology away with a smirk. “It was expected coming from a brat like you.”

     Shane grinned. “Asshole.”

     When Sheera and Shane were gone, Tony got lost in thoughtland and missed the looks passing between his remaining friends.

     “You better watch yourself.” Mai said to him at last. Tony blinked at her, not understanding.

     “Yeah, man,” Caleb went on. “When you meet someone who’s captivated your attention, as in prime boyfriend material, you tend to stare intensely at them as if trying to figure out their soul.”    

    “What?”    

     Caleb shrugged. “Guess you never noticed you did it, but we’ve all seen that look on your face enough times to know what’s going on inside… not that you’ve done it in a while.”

     “Actually I can’t remember the last time you took such an interest in a guy. The last time was a few years ago I think,” Mai said in contemplation.

     “And you can bet Sheera noticed what you were just doing,” Caleb ended.

     “I don’t know what you think you’re trying to imply…”

     Damien grinned at him. “I think it’s cute. He’s more your type anyway.”

     “Whatever.”

     Mai laughed. “I like him! What about you guys?”

     “He’ll do nicely.” Damien answered with a snobbish air. “Maybe we can convince him to stick with our little group even when he does find new friends.”

     This, of course, surprised all around as Damien was hard to impress. Tony was slightly wary by the scheming look appearing in those cold blue eyes.


	2. Episode Two

Someone was blowing in his ear. Someone was deliberately trying to wake him from a very nice and needed sleep.

     “I’m awake. Quit blowing in my ear!”

     “It’s past noon and Mom told me to wake you as she left for work.”

     Shane turned over and threw a sore arm over his equally sore face. “Did you tell her you didn’t bring me home till four in the morning?”

     “I’m not stupid. Of course I didn’t mention it. Neither did I mention you getting your ass beat.”

     “You said she went to work?”

     “Yep.”

     “Then let me sleep for fucks sake!”

     “No! Just get up, lazy ass!”

     Shane groaned and pulled the covers over his head, only to have them completely whipped off his body. He started to panic and reach out for anything to cover up his legs, but Sheera’s harsh intake of breath told him it was too late. She’d seen the worst damage done to him.

     “Who the fuck did this to you?” she growled. “Why? Why would they do this?”

     Shane ran a hand through his disorderly hair and stared down at his horribly beaten legs. “It’s not important.”

     “Start explaining, Shane. I’m not letting this go.”

     “These guys from school, Derrick Carter and his friends, ambushed me and thought they would beat me up as a going away present…”  
     “But your legs!”

     “Yeah…” His legs.

     Shane was a runner. Ever since middle school he loved to run. Carter and the rest of those assholes from school knew how much Shane liked being on the Track and Field team. Now he had a spot lined up to run Track for Allmsted and Carter had somehow found that out and he knew Shane had a try out session with the head coach tomorrow. And because of this tryout, Carter instructed the three other bullies to get as many hits in on Shane’s legs as possible. They wanted to ruin his running career.

     Shane avoided Sheera’s gaze as she sat beside him. He concentrated on his legs, feeling the bruised and tender muscles. It was okay, though. At least they hadn’t broken any bones and there were no fractures or sprains. So all he needed to do was work around the pain.

     “Why did they do this? You don’t make enemies, Shane.”

     Shane flopped back onto his bed, cushioning his head with his arms as he answered. “You know why I wanted to come up here to school so bad?” Sheera shook her head. “It’s because you’ve always told me how the people are up here, how the city is more laid back, more accepting…”

     “Accepting of what, Shane? Spit it out already! Lord, it’s like pulling a tooth with you.”

     “I’m gay.”

     So he thought he’d have a very hard time admitting it to anyone, but after seeing Sheera again and meeting her friends, one of which was obviously gay, it wasn’t so hard.

     “You’re gay?” she asked quietly. “You like men?”

     “That’s generally what that means, cuz…”

     “NO!” Sheera shot to her feet. “You can’t be gay!”

     Shane forced himself up and out of bed, once again not meeting her eyes. Not exactly the reaction he was hoping for. But after the crap he’d gotten from the people who knew him in Fuckers Town, after he had stupidly come out without a thought, Shane had been resigned to the fact he would have to end up taking shit from a lot of people for the rest of his life. But he wasn’t going to hide his sexuality. He wasn’t that type of person. He was proud to be who he was, and everyone else could just go and fuck themselves.    

     Sheera started to speak again as he went to rifle through one of his duffle bags for his clothes, “This isn’t fair!” she snapped. “Now there are three of you. I’ll forever be a fag hag! This isn’t happening!”

     “Sheera,” he slowly turned to face his cousin, her words ringing in his ears while his heart started the beat triple time. He had thought last night that… but then he only assumed Damien had only been playing around, saying all those things… “Who else is gay besides Damien?”

     Sheera gave him a look like he was stupid. “Don’t you pay attention? I’m sure I’ve mentioned it. It’s not like I’ve never mentioned him to you before. You even met him once before last night,” she said as she headed for the door. “Anyway, you get dressed. I’ll be right back.”

     The high school track star was left alone with no answers and a building headache. He supposed it was a no brainer. After hearing that, it was obvious who the other one was. He could count after all. It wasn’t Caleb, as that guy was Mai’s boyfriend. So that left the hot dude with the rock hard abs, broad shoulders, and legs that went on forever. Best feature though were the intense green eyes. That guy had an intense stare and it had lasted all night. Shane suspected they were always like that.

     As he dressed, Shane went over the events of the night before. Remembering how he managed to catch an earlier flight in order to save himself from his mother who was seriously about to put her foot down and forbid him from going to Allmsted after she found him black and blue. She hadn’t wanted to let Shane leave to a city where much worse could happen to him. Shane had practically had to run away at that point. And then he thought about how he lingered at the airport for hours before he’d finally managed to work up the courage to call Sheera and announce his early arrival.

     The vivid image- and it was a memory Shane knew would last forever in his mind- of Sheera’s car pulling up to the curb and the passenger door opening. Shane had been frozen as he watched Tony climb from the car. The nobody, Sheera had said. Of course she’d only been joking, Shane knew, but that was no way to describe the gorgeous guy she dragged along. Tony had emerged from the car, his deep green eyes quickly scanning the walkway, a small frown of annoyance on his face, and Shane could do nothing but stare.

       He was an intimidating figure out there in the half-light, and when Tony finally spotted him, Shane felt the intimidation skyrocket when those eyes turned and narrowed on him. It was because of that intimidation that Shane had acted like an ass towards the guy, even though he knew Tony was Sheera’s old childhood friend.

     Shane muttered to himself, his face flushing in embarrassment as he finished dressing. He had been a complete prick to Tony almost the entire night, and the guy undoubtedly considered Shane to be nothing more than a brat as he continued to call him.

     “Not cool,” he grumbled. It was safe to say he had a crush of monumental proportions, and to be seen as a brat in the eyes of said crush was the worst. And then to find out said crush was also gay… he moaned in agony. He had no chance with a guy like Tony anyway.

     Shane made his way out of the guest room and met Sheera coming down the hall. “Here, sweetie.” She held out her hand and he saw two white pills. “Pain killers.”

     “No thanks, cuz.” He turned and headed down stairs, gritting his teeth in annoyance against the jarring pains shooting up his legs.

     “Take them, Shane. I can see you’re hurting,” Sheera said as she followed.

     “Can’t do it. It’ll make me groggy.” They entered the kitchen, and Shane was already making himself at home by going to the fridge and looking in it for something light to eat before his run. “I can’t get all drowsy when I’m working out.”

     “But Shane, your legs.”

     “I’m fine, alright. Let’s drop it.” Shane pulled out the milk, and then went in search of cereal and a bowl. “So what are you doing today? You still working for that dick at that upscale retail store?” he asked once he sat down with his bowl of cereal.

     “Unfortunately. I’m off today though.” She frowned when he looked at her. “He’s been cutting my hours again. But I guess that’s okay now that school is about to start. At least he hasn’t fired me yet.”

     Shane shook his head. “With all the complaining you do, I’m surprised you haven’t quit.”

     “I would, but it’s a really good experience for my career choice and I get paid okay. Hopefully by next summer I’ll have earned an intern spot with one of the fashion magazines.”

     “Hope that works out for you.”

     Sheera nodded and the kitchen lapsed into silence. Shane felt Sheera’s gaze on him, but he didn’t look up from his cereal until he’d finished with it. “What?”

     “So how did you like my friends?”

     Shane shrugged. “What’s not to like… They all seemed cool.” Sheera smiled at that. “Was that really Damien’s club?”

     “Yeah, he-” Sheera cut off when a cell phone started going off from the living room. Shane recognized the ring tone. _Dude Looks Like A Lady_ by Aerosmith. Shane raised his eyebrows at that. “That would be Damien. Hold on a minute.”

     Shane laughed as she rushed out of the kitchen and he took his empty bowl to the sink.

     “Does he know that’s the ring tone you have for him?” he asked when Sheera returned.

     “He’s the one who picked it. So,” Sheera spun her cell on the surface of the table, “we’re meeting at Damien’s tonight. Want to come?”

     “Not if you’re only dragging me there because you feel responsible for me. I don’t need you to help find friends, Sheera. As much as I appreciate what you’re trying to do.”

     Sheera grinned unashamedly at him. “I did tell them to be nice and accept you last night.”

     Shane clenched his jaw and tried to resist cursing her. “Dammit. I’m not a fucking baby. Thanks, but no thanks.” It was a really hard blow to know they’d only been nice as a favor to Sheera. “Jesus, they must think I’m pathetic.”

     “Hold on, Shane! Don’t get all pissy on me. For your information, Damien requested your presence… well he more like demanded it. But that means you’ve earned kudos. And besides, I would know if they didn’t like you. But they do and not because of anything I said.”

     “Swear.”

     “I swear, Shane. I wouldn’t lie about this. And you should feel honored that Damien wants you around… though some would say that’s a curse.”

     Shane grinned. “Has anyone ever told him no? I mean, what if I refuse to come with you?”

     Sheera pinned him with a serious look. “Have you ever been attacked by a cat on crack?”

     He snorted, “No.”

     “Then unless you want to, I suggest you come along. Especially tonight. He’s in a pissy mood.”

     “What’s wrong with him?”

     “He’s attending meetings all day and something or someone has pissed him off. He always calls us together when he needs support.” She smiled softly at the thought of her friend. “Working for his father is harder than you think.”

     “Since I just met the guy, I really haven’t thought about it at all.”

     Once again he was pinned with a serious stare. “So who have you been thinking about?”

     For some reason Shane couldn’t help but blush at her question. “Um… huh?”

     Sheera stood and stalked across the kitchen until they were toe to toe. “Don’t give me that huh crap! What exactly went on in that bathroom? When it was just you and Tony, huh?”

     That was a time he had been trying to bury at the very back of his head, because after it happened, every time he thought about it, he couldn’t help but furiously blush, like he was doing now. “Nothing happened. Tony was being nosy and trying to see the damage inflicted upon my person.”

     “Inflicted upon your person?” Sheera snorted as his choice of words. “Damien was screaming about him being on his knees in front of you,” she said tightly.

     “Hey listen. I’ve got to go for my run.” Shane quickly side stepped her and headed for the front hallway. “I’ve got my phone in case you need me. I’ll only be an hour or so.”

     “Shane! You get right back here and explain!”

     “Nothing happened, I swear!”

     Sheera chased him out into the front lawn, and Shane thought she was prepared to run after him down the road. Fortunately her phone went off again and she instantly stopped to answer, glaring at Shane as he ran backwards and waved at her.

     Why’d she have to go and remind him of that? He’d been trying to get the memory of the feeling of Tony’s hands on his skin out of his mind. They had been so close. Shane could remember feeling highly embarrassed being caught in the bathroom checking himself of his bruises… He should have locked the door, but it hadn’t occurred to him to do so until after Tony had made his presence known. Then the tall brunet had been in front of him and the heat had almost been unbearable and despite the soreness, Tony’s hands on his skin had felt really good and his lips had been only an inch away from his stomach when Damien had burst in…. So yeah, he had been extremely sexually frustrated by the time he’d left the bathroom.

     Shane blew out a breath as he quickened his pace; turning down and away from the street he now lived on. _Time to focus…_ Focusing on his running was better than focusing on something he could never have…

     After his run, Shane returned to the house bummed. How was he supposed to do his best the next day when he met the Track coach? He couldn’t run full out as he always liked to do. It would be a few days until he could push his legs as usual. But he didn’t have a few days. He had less than a day and unless there was a sudden miracle, he was not going to impress the coach. In fact, Shane was sure he was going to lose his spot on the team now.

     He slammed into the house, ignored Sheera’s annoyed yell about slamming doors, and headed straight for the bathroom to shower. As he crossed the bathroom to turn the shower on, he noticed a little disposable cup sitting on the sink with the two pills Sheera tried to give him earlier. The cup was placed on a small note that said for him to take the damn pills.

     “Geez…” Shane tossed the pills into his mouth, actually thankful for them. Dulling his senses was sounding good right now. After his shower he planned to go back to bed and try to ignore the world. It was better to do that than to start hating it.

* * *

 Sheera zoomed into the underground parking complex beneath a high-rise condo building in the center of town. Shane only had time to gape at the extravagance of the outside of the building before they disappeared under it.

     Once out of the car, Sheera led him over to four elevators. Three were together while the forth was placed a few feet away from the others and it had red metallic doors instead of the regular gray. Sheera pulled him into the red elevator.

     “Here, Shane.” He was then given two more painkillers and he took them thankfully, as by that time the others had already long faded and his muscles were screaming. Not to mention that he knew he looked like an idiot walking around all stiff.

     Once she passed him the painkillers, Sheera turned to the side and slid open a small panel to reveal a number pad. It was then Shane noticed there wasn’t a normal up/down pad to press. He watched his cousin quickly punch in a code. Then she flashed him a smile and reached over to grasp the metal side bar. “Hold on, baby cousin. This shoots straight up.”

     Shane only had time to frown in annoyance at being called baby cousin before the elevator dinged and did exactly what she said it would.

     When they were at the very top of the building and the elevator opened to a mid sized foyer, Sheera was bent over laughing her ass off while Shane was sprawled on the floor staring dumbly at her.

     “You weren’t kidding! Fuck…” Shane reached back to rub his head. “I think I have a concussion. Who makes elevators like that?”      

     “Damien likes it. He doesn’t have to wait very long to get home. He’s very impatient.”

     “Yeah, I guessed that about two seconds after meeting him,” Shane said dryly as he rearranged his hat back onto his head as he got back onto his feet. He planned to wear the hat until his face didn’t look like it had been shoved through a meat grinder. “You and Damien must be really close if he gave you the code,” he ventured as they approached the only door connected to the foyer.

     “Yeah. The others have the code as well. He would wallow in self despair without us.”

     “Somehow I doubt that.”

     “Skeptics are not welcome here,” Sheera replied with a glare before opening the door. Shane was surprised to see it was left unlocked, but then when he followed Sheera inside, he supposed there was no reason to lock the door. You had to have the code to get the elevator to move anyway and it seemed the apartment was not empty as he heard voices inside.  

     Shane lingered at the door after closing it behind him, while Sheera moved on quickly and disappeared around a corner. He heard her exclaim her hellos to whoever else was already in the penthouse. He heard Caleb almost immediately, yelling out, “white man can’t jump! White man can’t jump! Whatcha trying to do? You can’t beat me!”

     And then Mai’s accented voice drowned out her boyfriend’s exuberance. “Thank goodness you’re here, Sheera! I nearly shoved this chopstick into my ear! Seriously! Do you know how annoying it is to sit here and listen while they play that game, always cursing and talking trash? I’m going insane!”

     And then Tony’s voice reached his ears. The usual mellowness was gone and replaced with mild amusement with a tinge of annoyance. “Keep talking trash, Caleb…”

     Caleb reiterated with, “ah- ah- OOOH! Who’s on FIRE!!! Jumped right off your shoulder, man!”

     “That’s fine. I’ll get you back… pause it for a minute. You want another beer?”

     “What kind of stupid question is that?” Caleb replied.

     Shane hadn’t realized he’d been leaning against the door just listening to the conversation until Tony passed the hallway into what Shane thought was probably the kitchen.

     “Sheera, where’s Shane?” Caleb called out. “Sure he has better skills than Tony.”

     “Shut the fuck up!” Tony yelled back. “It’s not like I have time to play the game twenty-four seven like you do. And yeah, where is he?”

     “Huh?” Sheera sounded confused. “He came in with me. Didn’t you see him?”

     Shane thought he better move out of the hall or someone was going to come find him standing there, looking really nervous and completely pathetic. However, before he could take one step, Tony’s face appeared, leaning into the hallway from the kitchen, and caught Shane looking like a scared kitten.

     Tony’s flat look dissolved and a wicked grin grew from ear to ear as he studied Shane. “Come in, brat. We’re not going to bite… much.” Something flew and connected with the side of the hot guy’s head. “What the hell, Sheera?” he snapped and his face disappeared.

     Sheera’s hissed response was lost on Shane as he moved forward, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his black cargo pants. When he reached the end of the hallway, he looked left first, finding Caleb stretched out in front of a massive flat screen in an equally massive living area. Shane recognized a basketball video game paused on the screen. There were two large black leather couches, one being a large sectional, a love seat, and two plush black chairs. Shane was dying to sink into one of those seats. The carpet was black as well, but Damien had the walls painted in different colors like abstract art, so it wasn’t like a dark and gloomy place.

     For the first time Shane wondered just how rich Damien was.

     Caleb jumped up as soon as he saw Shane and hurried over. “Sup, Shane?”

     Shane had to crane his head back to look up into Caleb’s face. “Hey,” he replied and took the other man’s hand for a quick shake.

     Tony came up and shoved a beer bottle into Caleb’s waiting hand, and they both studied Shane until he started to fidget nervously and wondered if he had something on his face. He jerked the hat down further, making sure his face was shadowed. “What?”

     Tony then knocked the baseball cap off Shane’s head. “No wearing hats in here.”

     Caleb snorted and walked away. “Yeah, hats… lame, Tony.”

     Shane stared at his hat, which lay on the black carpet at his feet. “He’s right, asshole. That was lame,” he replied and bent to retrieve the innocent hat from the floor. “Hat didn’t do anything to you.”

     “Looks like the bruising faded a little,” Tony said as Shane straightened. He sucked in a breath when fingers wrapped firmly around his chin and his face was turned so that Tony could look closely at the left side.

     Shane just knew his face was turning red. He knew it. He could feel his blood burning and rushing to the surface…

     “Tony, come on, man. We got a game to finish.”

     Tony’s fingers fell from his face slowly- Shane didn’t dare hope to call it a caress- before his hand dropped completely away before returning to his spot beside an impatiently waiting Caleb, leaving Shane disbelieving that he’d had the unbelievably hot guy’s hands on him again.

     Shoving his own hands deep into his pockets again, Shane pressed his fingers against his palm with such force that his fingernails dug in. He felt ridiculous. Was this how stupid girls with silly crushes felt like? If so he would rather not experience it ever again. He hated feeling like a loser. He frowned at that. This wasn’t like him, being so negative. As he moved into the living room a bit to watch Tony and Caleb play, he thought about why he was feeling down, besides the fact that he was going to burn tomorrow at his tryout. Shane figured he felt like this because something about Tony made him feel insecure, unworthy, and completely irrational. None of those things were very positive.

     He scowled at nothing in particular and settled down into one of the large black leather couches, sighing in relief as the cushions molded against his body. The painkillers were starting to kick in again, and he knew if he stayed on that couch, he would pass out within minutes. Though at the moment he didn’t really care about that.

     “FOR REAL?” Mai suddenly exclaimed and drew everyone’s attention. The Japanese woman looked at him, her eyes excited. “Shane? You’re gay, too? We have three now? What are the odds?!”

     Tony had just been taking a sip of his beer when he heard that and was so surprised that he spewed it out all over in front of him. Shane turned back to the game players to see Caleb on his knees beside Tony, pounding the brunet’s back as he started to cough. Caleb then grinned wolfishly and started to whisper something to his friend.

     Shane stood and approached them. Caleb had been wagging his eyebrows at Tony when he noticed Shane standing there. Both looked at him and froze.

     “Um… should I get a towel?” he indicated the spots where Tony had spit beer everywhere. Tony and Caleb looked up to find the television screen and the game console covered in beer.

     “FUCK!” The cried in unison.

     “Get a towel, get some paper! Christ Jesus, get something before Damien gets home!” Caleb shouted as he and Tony jumped to their feet.

       Shane thought he was overreacting, until he saw Tony’s pale face staring at the mess with horror. Was Damien really that scary? Apparently so. What else could make two grown men rush around in panic? He started to chuckle as Caleb ran to the kitchen for paper towels, while Tony flew down the hall and into the bathroom; banging open the cabinet doors to pull out an armful of towels.

     Before Shane could do anything to help, Mai came up and pulled him into the kitchen to sit at the table with her and Sheera. But before anything could be said, he pointed to Caleb and Tony who were working very hard trying to clean up the mess as quickly as possible.

     “I told you,” Sheera began. “A cat on crack. Unfortunately, they have been attacked by one and do not wish to relive the experience.”

     Shane started laughing. Because really, he could picture Damien with a pair of white cat ears and a white tail, with his eyes swirling crazy like, hissing and prowling after Caleb and Tony.            

     “So Shane… You’re gay,” Mai went on. Shane turned and glared at Sheera. But she shrugged and didn’t look at all sorry for saying anything.

     “It’s not like we’re a bunch of homophobes. And if you wanted to keep it a secret, you never would have told me. Am I right?”

     “Maybe he told you so that you could accidentally let it slip to someone else?” Mai went on with a twinkle in her eye.

     “Yeah,” Sheera replied dryly and looking into the living room, “someone who was clearly very surprised by what you said.”

     “Um…”

     Tony spun around to glare at them. “Can one of you get the stain remover. Now!”

     Shane started laughing again. “Maybe next time you should wear a bib.”

     “Keep talking and I’ll tell Damien you did it.”

     Sheera sighed and went to find the stain remover. “Mai, can you take Shane and work your magic?”

     “Oh yeah! I brought all my stuff too!” Mai stood up and tugged Shane up along with her. “Come on. We’ll do it in the guest room.”

     “Huh?” Shane’s eyes widened. “What are we going to do in the guest room?”

     “Good question,” Tony called out.

     “Mind your own business!” Sheera screeched at him as she shoved the stain remover into his hands. “I want to have a word with you anyway, Tony. After you’ve cleaned up this mess. Damien’s going to be home any minute.”

     “It’s cool, man,” Caleb said to Tony. “Mai’s gonna work away the beating Shane took. Baby’s got magic fingers. You know that.”

     “True.” Tony had been on the receiving end of Mai’s massages on more than one occasion. Her fingers were gold.

     “I gave him a couple of painkillers when we got here,” Sheera said as she returned to the kitchen. “They kicking in yet?”

     “Yeah…”

     “That’s good,” Mai commented as she led him away. “Being completely relaxed will make this easier.”

     “Make what easier?”

     “Sheera called me earlier. Asked me if I could work a miracle on you,” Mai replied as they entered a bedroom. “So first I’m going to take care of your legs, since that’s where the worst of the damage is, right?”

     Shane stared dumbly at her as she shut the door. A miracle? Isn’t that what he’d asked for? But what exactly was she planning to do?

     “My mother is a masseuse. I’ve learned a lot from her.” Mai crossed the room to the bag lying on top of the small desk and opened it. “I’m not a certified masseuse, but I know what I’m doing.”

     Shane still had no idea what was going on. Maybe the painkillers were taking away his thought processes.

     Mai turned around to find him still standing there, completely dressed. “Do you need help?” she asked in amusement and looked pointedly at his pants.

     “I- Um…”

     “I’ll go outside. You take your clothes off, leaving your boxers on, lie on the bed, cover up, and then call me when you are ready for me to return.”

     Shane nodded. When she left, he did as she asked and undressed, leaving his boxers on and happily crawled into bed and under the covers. He sighed blissfully as his body relaxed. He nearly forgot to call out to Mai.

     When she entered, she started to chuckle. “You certainly look ready for bed.”

     Her words were nearly drowned out by the loud voices coming from the living room. “What’s that?”

     Mai looked uncertain as to whether she should answer, but then shrugged. “Sheera and Tony are discussing something. They’re both headstrong, so it’ll probably end in a fight and one of them will storm off. Happens often. Nothing to worry about,” she answered as she pulled the covers up from the bottom and flipped them over to uncover his legs. She tisked when she saw the bruises.

    Shane closed his eyes, a small frown crossing his cute face. He didn’t want his cousin and Tony to fight. Even if he didn’t know what it was about.

     “You just relax, Shane. I’m going to keep talking, but if that gets on your nerves, just tell me, yes?”    

     “I like your voice. It’s soothing.”

     Mai smiled brightly at him. “You’re adorable.”

     “Whatever.” Shane turned his head to face the wall so she couldn’t see his blush.

     “So… do you have a boyfriend?”

     Shane snorted derisively and Mai wondered about that. “No.”

     “Do you want one?”

     “I just got here. I don’t really know anyone.” He lifted himself onto his elbows so he could look over his shoulders to see what she was doing as she did it. At the moment, Mai was poking and prodding the darkest spots.

     “Do you have a certain type that you like?”

     “I- I don’t know. Never thought about it.”

    “Well, for instance,” Mai reached down to grab one of the jars she set beside the bed, “do you like guys like Damien, who clearly wish they had been born females, or men like Tony, a tall broad hunk of a man? Or maybe something in between?”

     “I don’t know,” he repeated, and dropped his head back to the pillow. “Well definitely not Damien. I guess I like Tony… I mean, his type. I like his _type_.” He stressed that last part.

     Mai laughed as she poured a small amount of lotion into her hands and rubbed them together so the lotion wouldn’t be cold when she placed it against his skin. Even still Shane jerked a little when she put it on him.

     “Just relax.”

     “K.” Even as he said that, they heard the front door open and then slam shut.

     “MAI! Mai, I need you!”

     Mai sighed. “Good Lord, what happened this time?” she then muttered something in Japanese and tisked.

     Shane was surprised when she didn’t get up to go see what Damien wanted. There was some silence in which Damien must have come across Sheera and Tony fighting in the living room. A moment later, Caleb came running into the room and quickly shut the door.

     “Baby, I say we take off. Damien is in one of his worse moods and Sheera and Tony are going at it worse than ever!” He grabbed the desk chair and moved it over to the bed before straddling it.

     “Why are they fighting?” Shane asked and turned to look at the tall black guy. Caleb gave his girlfriend a look, but Mai ignored him and continued on with her fantastic massage. She really did have magic fingers.

     “Something stupid… I mean, it’s not stupid, but them fighting over it is stupid, if that makes any sense.”

     Shane yawned before answering. “Not really. I have to know what the _it_ is. But since it’s none of my business, I wont butt in anymore.”

     “MAI!” Damien nearly broke down the door with his bellow. A moment later, he slammed into the room. “Mai, can’t you hear? I need you to help me with my hair!”

     “Again? But we just did it last week.”

     “It’s been a week! Time to change.” Damien crossed his arms, stuck his nose into the air, and started tapping his foot impatiently. “I’m waiting…”

     “Damien, can’t you see I’m busy?” she waved over Shane’s body. “Go ask Sheera to help you begin, and when I’m finished here…”

     “But no!” Damien whined and dropped his arms. “She’s fighting with Tony! I need you! Please, it’s been such a horrible day, with horrible mean people. And the biggest fucking homophobic jerk on the earth… just makes me want to rip out all his hair and gouge out his stupid murky gray eyes, and-”

     “I’ll help you when I’m finished with Shane,” Mai said firmly. “Sit down and do the relaxing exercises I taught you until I’m free.”

     “But Mai!”

     “In case you are blind, obviously Shane needs my attention more than you do.”

     “No, it’s okay. You can-” Shane began, because he did not want to see Damien turn into the cat on crack. But Damien came back down to earth and noticed he and Mai weren’t the only ones in the room. He crossed over to the bed, and peered down at his bruises.

     Damien’s eyes narrowed when he saw the black and blue marks. “Someone should die for doing this to you.” With that the drama queen plopped himself down on the floor right beside the bed, crossed his legs, and placed the back of his hands on each of his knees. “I’m sorry I was being so selfish, Shane.”

     Mai and Caleb exchanged surprised glances, while Shane looked down at him in shock. Why would Damien have such a reaction to his beating? The guy didn’t even know him. But any further thought on that was put on hold by the escalating voices coming from outside.

     “YOU’RE BEING RIDICULOUS, SHEERA! WHY DON’T YOU LET THIS GO?”

     The shouting from outside was getting louder, and Shane closed his eyes tightly. He never liked it when anyone yelled. And Tony sounded furious.

     “I HAVEN’T DONE ANYTHING.”

     Sheera’s reply was easily heard. “IT’S BECAUSE I SAW THE WAY YOU WERE STARING! AND IT’S OBVIOUS WHAT YOU WANT, TONY. ALL YOU’RE DOING IS THINKING ABOUT YOURSELF! SELFISH BASTARD!”

     “Selfish? You’re one to talk! And so what? So what if I do want something to happen? Would that be so bad, Sheera?”

     There was a moment of silence, Mai and Caleb were holding their breath, Damien was watching Shane carefully, and Shane had his eyes closed and was desperately trying to keep from hearing anything, though that was becoming hard, as the voices had continued to rise.

     “ KNOW WHAT? IT DOESN’T EVEN MATTER,” Tony went on. “ I SEE WHAT THIS IS ABOUT. YOU DON’T TRUST ME. I’M NOT GOOD ENOUGH, IS THAT IT?” Hollow laughter followed the question. And Tony’s footsteps could be heard approaching the front door. “ Fuck this, I’m gone!”

     “GOOD! LEAVE THEN, YOU SANCTAMONIOUS BASTARD! I KNOW YOU, TONY… ALL YOU’RE DOING IS PLAYING WITH HIM-”  
     The front door was slammed shut.

     Damien sighed, gave up on trying out Mai’s relaxing techniques, and threw an arm around Shane’s tense shoulders. Shane turned his head away from the wall to stare at Damien with wide eyes.

     “You don’t like fighting, do you?” Shane shook his head. “It’s okay. They always make up.”

     “It’s just… My parents always fought. They were always fighting.”

     Shane watched the three exchange looks and wondered at their expressions. And then Damien and Caleb left, while Mai started to sing an old traditional Japanese song that had Shane asleep in minutes.

* * *

 Damien and Caleb left the room and shut the door. “Poor guy,” Damien cooed and stared at the closed door. “It’s a good thing he didn’t know they were fighting over him.”

     “How do you know they were fighting over him? You weren’t here when Mai yelled out that Shane was gay.”

     “Um, hello! Earth to Caleb! You’re looking at a walking talking gaydar. Duh!”

     Caleb snorted. “Right, man. Forgot.”

     “Go after Tony, would you? I’m going to talk to Sheera.”

     “But he could be gone by now.”

     “Then call him. If he doesn’t answer, follow in your car. Just bring him back!”

     “Fine, man.” Caleb waved and took off knowing it was no good to argue.

     Damien walked into the living room, where Sheera was sprawled on one of the couches, crying on a very expensive pillow. The fact that she was crying let Damien know she knew she was wrong.

     “Why would you fight like that around him?” he asked her. “When you know his parents fought like that. I take it Shane’s parents have divorced.”   

     “Yes. Shane’s dad was an absolute bastard. He wrecked their lives and left Aunt Daisy and Shane stranded afterwards…” Sheera sniffed and pulled the pillow away from her face. “I didn’t mean for it to get so out of hand.”

     Damien lifted her head so that he could sit and allowed her to use his lap as a pillow. “Want to tell me what’s really bothering you? It can’t be that you think Tony and Shane together is such a bad idea.”

     “But it is!”

     “Shane’s not a baby.”

     “It’s not that.”

     “It can’t be because you really think Tony isn’t good enough. Cause if that’s so then I’ll kick your ass out of here so fast…. And if you think about it, wouldn’t you be happier knowing the person whom Shane decided to see? You know Tony is a good person. He’s not like me. He’s not a fuck em and leave em kind of guy.”

     “I know that…”

     “And don’t you think it should be Shane’s decision?”

     “Damien, why are you being so sensible? Most times its hard to get you to see sense.”

     Damien scrunched up his nose while his shoulders sagged in defeat. “After the day I’ve had… I just… I want to help. I don’t want my friends as miserable as me.”

     “Oh, honey…” Sheera sat up and wrapped her arms around him. “What happened today?”

     “I’ll tell you about it later. Right now we’re going to talk about you, Tony, and Shane.”

     “He just moved here, Damien. He was nearly beaten to death because he’s gay. Do you think I want him involved in any more shit that could mess with him?”

     Damien’s eyes narrowed. “He was beaten up for being gay?” he asked coldly. “That adorable angel was damaged for being who he is?”

     “You’re sounding like a demon again,” Sheera said in worry.

     Damien waved that away. “We’ll talk about this later as well. Tell me why you don’t want Tony to pursue Shane.”

     “I don’t know. I’m just worried. Shane’s very… soft hearted. He trusts easily, he loves easily…”

     “Yeah, but obviously he doesn’t break easily.”

     “And Tony is very passionate and loyal—I don’t know…” Sheera sighed and looked towards the ceiling. “You know… when I think about it like that, I guess they would make a good couple.”

     “Mmm hmm.” Damien grinned because once again he knew he was right. “But I get it. You’re worried about both of them, because you love them both. Don’t worry. The best thing for us to do is let whatever happens between them happen, naturally. Without any help or interference. It’s obvious they both seem to have a thing for each other. Your cousin’s cute when he blushes. Did it a lot last night whenever Tony looked at him… didn’t you notice?”

     “I didn’t know Shane was gay until today!” Sheera laughed and hugged him tighter. “Oh, by the way. Tony spat beer all over your carpet, TV, and the game console.”

     “WHAT?!” 

* * *

Tony slammed his car door shut and shoved the key into the ignition. He turned the car on, sat there for about five seconds, and then turned the car back off and let his head fall onto the steering wheel. He heard his cell going off but chose to ignore it by tossing it to the back seat.

     “Fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!”

     He couldn’t believe that had just happened. Sheera and he were like siblings… Did she really not think him good enough for Shane? When he asked she had simply stood there and glared at him. That was answer enough, right? What the fuck was her problem, anyway? It wasn’t as if he planned to go after Shane, even if he wanted to. Shane was her cousin. He wasn’t about to cause drama by trying to seduce the guy however much he wanted to. But then she kept talking, and kept trying to get him to admit his attraction, and he couldn’t take it anymore. Yeah, he liked Shane. A lot. Yeah, he wanted Shane, a lot. And the fact that Sheera was acting like it was the end of the world had pissed him off.

     His cell continued to go off and because that was also pissing him off, he grabbed it from the back seat and turned it off.

     _OK Tony get a grip._

The best thing for him to do was to leave and avoid Shane. Because… he had this inexplicable feeling, an overwhelming urge that gripped him every time he looked at the brat. His mind had starting screaming MINE the moment he peered into the hallway and spotted Shane standing there; a little unsure of whether he was really welcome or not. He’d had a small adorable pout on his lips and Tony had wanted to take a bite…

     “Jesus, I’m losing it.” Tony started the car again. “Caleb’s right. I need to get laid.” He pulled out of the parking spot, careful of Damien’s shiny black Jaguar parked next to him, and headed for the exit.

     “MAN, HOLD UP!”

     Tony looked into the rearview mirror to see Caleb chasing after him, his long legs pumping as fast as they could. For a second Tony let up off the gas, but as he knew what Caleb wanted he thought just leaving would be best.

     “DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT, MOTHER FUCKER!” Caleb yelled as he neared the car.

       Tony half grinned and pressed the gas down, taking his car just a little further out of reach. He heard Caleb curse him to Mars and back as he started to run faster. Tony then slammed on the brake and watched from the rearview as Caleb sprinted forward right into the car; unable to stop in time from smashing into the back of the automobile.

     Tony chuckled darkly as he pulled the car back into a parking spot. He felt better seeing Caleb sprawled on the concrete, holding on to his crotch.

     “Hasn’t anyone ever told you not to chase after cars?” he asked innocently. “It’s dangerous, man.”

     “Fuck. You.” Caleb gasped out. “If I’m permanently damaged, I’ll sic Mai on your white ass.” Tony snorted and helped Caleb up before walking back to his car and opening the door. “Man, don’t leave. I’ll have to chase after you. Damien’s orders.”

     Tony sighed and grabbed the half full pack of cigarettes he kept for emergencies in the side of the door. Caleb watched him take a cig and light it before saying something. “You do realize you scared the kid. Apparently his folks fought a lot back home.”

     “I don’t think scared is the right word,” Tony said after a moment. “Shane doesn’t get scared like that. Troubled would be a better word. Uncomfortable. Powerless…”

     “You met him last night. How do you know?”  

     Tony shrugged and took a drag. “What’s up?” he asked after.

     “Damien wants you to come back.”

     “We really need to stop catering to his every demand. It’s going to end up giving him more problems… and I’m not going back up there, so you might as well drop the subject.”

     “Fine.” Caleb tapped his fingers against the hood of the car. “Did you see Shane’s legs? Compared to his legs, the rest of his body is perfection, and I’m saying that as a strictly straight guy here so don’t look at me like that. Anyway, his attackers really did a number on him. He shouldn’t have been able to walk around last night, the way they look, you know. Sheera told Mai that Shane’s some sort of track star and he has a physical interview with Jerry at Allmsted tomorrow. He might lose his position if he isn’t up to standard…”

     Tony ran a hand through his hair. “And why are you telling me all of this?” he ground out.

     “You told me to change the subject, man.”

     “I don’t want to talk about him.”

     “It’s cool if you want to go after him. He’s a big boy. Sheera’s just worried about him. That’s all.”

     “It is not cool. Sheera doesn’t trust me and she doesn’t think I’m good enough for him. You were there. You heard it. I’m not about to stick around for any more of that. Thanks, but no thanks.”

     “She didn’t exactly say it…”

     “And besides, who said I wanted that brat? Conclusions are being jumped to here.” Tony firmly believed this was the way to go. He wanted to avoid Shane. He wanted to avoid any talk of him.

     “Sure.” Caleb nodded in understanding. “That’s why you reacted the way you did when we heard he was one hundred percent gay. That’s why you can’t keep your eyes off him.”

     “Christ, how do we keep coming back to him?” Tony flicked away his cigarette. “This is all Damien’s fault, anyway.”

     “How?”

     “He insisted Shane be here.”

     “The kid made a good impression on him.”

     “Damien loves drama. This, once again, is all about him.”

     “...”

     Tony pushed off the car. “Fine, I’ll go back. But I’m not talking to Sheera, and if she so much as looks at me wrong…”

     “Whatever, man. Just as long as you get up there. My job will be done and I can relax.”

     Once they’d taken the elevator up and stood outside the penthouse door, Tony held Caleb back. “Do you think we cleaned the beer up good enough? I don’t want to go back in there if he noticed…”

     “Yeah…” Caleb grabbed his crotch. “I’d rather keep my dick intact.”

     “Go in there and check. I’ll follow once you say alls clear.”

     “Fuck you, man.” Caleb opened the door, then pushed Tony in. “You were the one to spit out the beer in the first place.”

     “Talk quieter please,” Tony ground out as he moved slowly down the hall. He stopped at the guest room and opened the door while Caleb walked passed to the end. Tony saw Shane was asleep in the bed, on his stomach, while Mai was rubbing junk into the brat’s skin, humming quietly to herself. Looking back at Caleb, his friend turned to him and raised his fingers to his head, bending them to make two little horns, then jerked a thumb to the living room.

     “Caleb, I saw that!” Damien hissed. “What are you trying to imply?”

     Tony snorted and hurried into the guest room, having no wish to hear what else Damien had to say. He didn’t go far in the room, and he refused to look at the bed.

     “There. Finished with his back.” Mai drew his attention and he backed up when she uncovered the rest of Shane’s body.

     “What are you doing?” he demanded. He didn’t need to see that body. Not now. He should just leave. Yeah. Leave…

     “I need to do his front now. Can you help me turn him over?” Mai asked as she stood. “I don’t want to wake him. He was pretty out of it from the painkillers and I don’t think he got enough sleep last night either.”

     “Not a good idea. I mean... I can’t.” Tony didn’t know why, but he was panicking. Why didn’t he want to touch Shane? He wasn’t sure… hell, he knew exactly why. Just look at him! Yeah, he’d bang that. Over and over and over again. Fuck, now he had a growing boner. He started shaking his head as he began to back away.

     “Tony? Why do you look scared?” Mai asked in amusement as he continued to back away.

     “He looks… I- I don’t think I should touch him… I- Uh…” Now he was fucking blushing like a preteen and Mai started laughing harder. He was nearly out of the room when he bumped into someone. He spun around and came eyes to forehead with Sheera. She was looking at him in shock.

     “I didn’t touch him, I swear!”

     Sheera’s face lit up and she squealed. “Tony! You do care!” he suddenly found himself in a bear hug.

     “What?” he croaked, tying to bend back a little and keep his growing problem away from her.

     “You were stammering. I’ve never seen you lose your cool around a guy like this before and he’s not even awake! So cute!”

     Tony pulled out of her arms and stormed out of the room, down the hall and into the living room. “What the fuck did you give her?” he asked Damien.

     “I have a better question,” Damien replied as he unfolded from the couch and stood in front of Tony. “What are the rules when you come to my house?” Damien asked flatly.

     Oh. Shit. Tony’s eyes cut over to the huge flat screen TV, and then back again. “Mai needs help with Shane. Maybe you should go help.”

     With that, Tony cut away to the kitchen, intent on hiding himself behind the bottle of rum Damien kept in the freezer.

     Damien glared at him on his way to the guest room. “This is so not over!” he hissed before disappearing down the hall.

     “You’re a tattle-telling bitch, Sheera,” Tony said as soon as she appeared after Damien had left.

     “You’re still alive so stop complaining.” Sheera sat down and watched her glaring friend for a moment. “I’m sorry-”

     “Don’t,” Tony harshly interrupted. “I think you meant all of that.”

     “No, Tony…”

     “I think you did. Don’t worry about it, though.” Tony stood and slid the bottle of rum over to her. “I’ll keep my distance. Your freaking gorgeous brat is safe from me.”

     “Tony!”

     He ignored her and easily snuck out of the penthouse while Caleb and Damien were ensconced in watching Mai work out the bruises on Shane. Tony didn’t even look in the room as he passed. He was sure he would have hesitated to leave otherwise.

     As he drove home, he couldn’t help but curse Sheera once again. She was an idiot if she thought he was just going to forget what she said. How could she even suggest all he wanted was a plaything? When had he ever been like that? And selfish? What the fuck?! It wasn’t his fault her cousin was the hottest boy he had ever seen and that was saying something considering he liked them hot.

    

 


	3. Episode Three

It was morning before Shane woke again and it was by some miracle that he woke before he had the interview with Coach Thompson at Allmsted. Another miracle, he noted with no small amount of jubilation, was the lack of pain he felt as he hurried around to put his clothes on. Once he was dressed, Shane dug around in his large pockets for his cell. Once found he nearly choked when he caught the time. So yeah, he woke up before he had to be at his interview, but now he only had thirty minutes to get to the school. And he didn’t even have his gear with him.

     “Shit.” He flew out of the room and down the hall, hoping to see some life in the living room or kitchen. To his disappointment, both rooms were empty, although he found Sheera’s bag laying on the kitchen table, as well as her cell phone. Which meant she was still around. The woman never went anywhere without her cell.

     “Hello?” he called out. “Anyone home?”

     He would have liked to go around knocking on doors, but as this was Damien’s place, he didn’t think waking the blond would have been wise. Though yelling out to his cousin would probably have the same results. He didn’t really have a choice though. Now that he thought he could run fine, he couldn’t waste anymore time or he was going to be late.

     “Sheera? Hello? C’mon, cuz! I’ve got to get to the school!”

     “She’s coming. Hold your horses.”

     Shane spun around to find Damien exiting from the door across the room, near the tv. Well… he thought it was Damien. It sounded like Damien, but the guy now walking into the kitchen had maroon hair instead of platinum blond and it was sticking up in all directions.

   “Damien?”

     “That’s me, hun…” Damien turned and gave him a lazy smile after pulling the milk out of the fridge.

     “Your hair…”

     Damien forgot about being tired and slightly hungover, and got excited as he ran his fingers through his hair. “You like? I couldn’t decide between burgundy, crimson, or maroon. In the end I chose maroon.”

     “I like it. And you did the eyebrows too.”

     “Of course. Nothing half way for me.”

     Shane grinned back and unconsciously studied the rest of the former blond. Damien had come out of his room in nothing more than black boxers, and being the red blooded hormonal teenager he was, Shane couldn’t help but notice how nice Damien’s slender figure was.

     “Careful there, cutie. Keep staring like that and I’ll think you want some.”

     Shane’s eyes snapped back to Damien’s amused face. “Oh- I… uh…. sorry.” His face was beet red by the time he’d finished that butchered sentence.

     “Don’t you dare apologize,” Damien said as he turned back to grab the coffee grinder from the counter. “You’re allowed to appreciate beautiful art when you see it.”

     “Comparing yourself to priceless art again, Damien?” Sheera asked as she came in from the same room Damien had. Shane had figured it was the master bedroom.

     “You two slept together?” Shane asked incredulously.

     “Oh, sure.” Sheera kissed him on the cheek as he passed to the kitchen table. Shane hurried and wiped the kiss off, having no idea what her lips had been up to last night. “Quite often actually.”

     Shane could do nothing but stand there and gape like a fish. “But… But you have a boyfriend!”

     Damien slowly turned and pinned Shane with a frightening glare. “Are you suggesting that I’ve stuck my cock in a pussy?”

     “That’s what it looks-”

     Damien was suddenly up in his face, and Shane could finally see and appreciate why everyone reacted the way they did concerning him. His eyes were slightly crazed. “Are you implying that I would actually have intercourse with a….” he shuddered horribly, “with a _vagina_?” the last word was whispered as if it were blasphemy.

     “No! Sorry!” Shane backed away, then turned and hurried towards the safety of his cousin, who was laughing at Shane’s terrified expression.

     Damien waved his words away with fingernails painted the exact same shade as his hair. “Since this is your first time offense, I forgive you. Don’t let it happen again.”

     Shane nodded and then pulled out his cell again. “Sheera, we have to go. I’m going to be late. And I don’t have my running gear…”

     “What time is the tryout?” Damien wanted to know.

     “In twenty minutes. Is that enough time to get to your house, grab my stuff and then get to school?”

     “Sure. If we hurry. Later, queer.”

     Damien waved over his shoulder. “Good bye, my everlasting fag hag. Good luck with your run, Shane. I’ll see you two later.”

     “C’ya,” Shane called as they left.

     Once they were gone, Damien went to his phone and punched in a number. It rang once before it was answered with a prompt, _“Sir?”_

     “Get me any and all information on Derrick Carter. He lives in Freemon. I want to know every goddamned detail of his life.”

     _“Yes, sir.”_

* * *

 

Shane was ready to kiss the ground by the time Sheera dropped him off. He was surprised they’d gotten there in one piece the way she drove around like a bat out of hell. But since he had five minutes to spare, he wasn’t going to complain out loud.

     “Thanks, cuz,” He said as he hurried to leave the car.

     “No prob. Hey!” she exclaimed before he could shut the door. “Call Mom when your try-out is over and she’ll pick you up. I have work in an hour so I can’t do it.”

     “No. That’s okay. I figured I would take the bus or something. Don’t worry about it. I have money. And I want to explore the city a little anyway.” Sheera looked uncertain. “Hey, you said the city was cool. I want to see for myself. I’ll be fine.”

     “All right. Good luck!”

      Thankfully, Sheera dropped him off right outside the building he was to meet Coach Thompson, and as he raced inside, Shane wondered how many other boys would be reaffirming their positions on the team today.

     Once inside, Shane stopped and looked around. He was in the middle of an empty hallway and he realized he had no idea where to go now. He twisted around looking for a sign that might tell him office numbers and the names of who belonged to which office, and as he turned the rubber soles of his shoes squeaked against the linoleum floor. He found what he was looking for and rushed over to it. Just as he was scanning the sign, a door far down the hall opened.

     “You the kid from Freemon? Williamson?” a gruff voice called out.

     Shane turned around and spotted a face peering at him down the hall. “Yeah, that’s me. Shane Williamson.”

     “Good. Great,” the gruff voice answered dryly. “Get in here!” Then the man disappeared back in his office.

     “Oh, man…” Shane murmured, not liking this one bit. He was being called into the office, not the track.

     “If that’s the way you hustle then I can safely say there will not be room for you on the team, secured spot or not,” Coach Thompson stated when Shane finally entered the office.

     “Sorry, sir. You kind of surprised me,” Shane answered as he stood in front of the desk.

     “Hmm…” the coach went back to scribbling something down on the paper in front of him. “Sit down boy! You hovering like that annoys the hell outta me.” He huffed out without looking up.

     Shane immediately sat in the chair, and when Coach Thompson remained quiet, Shane took to studying the small office. There wasn’t much in it. Just a desk, the chair Coach sat in, two chairs in front of the desk, and a file cabinet. But every inch of the walls were covered in motivational posters of some kind. Reminded Shane of high school, and he felt comfortable with the familiarity of it. He was strangely put at ease. That was until Coach Thompson finally looked up and pinned him with an unreadable stare.

     Gerald ‘ Jerry’ Thompson was an older man, in his middle forties, average height, with not an inch of fat found anywhere on his body. What some people thought was fat, was in actuality well built muscle, and the man worked out every day of his life. He had brown eyes and a full head of brown hair with grayish strands sprinkling his temples. The thick five o’clock shadow on the man’s face was also grayish. All in all, Shane found he liked the look of this man. His eyes were intense and focused, but they weren’t cold…

     “You will not be running today,” Thompson finally spoke. “Your tryout has been cancelled.”

     As his shoulders slumped forward, Shane felt his heart sink. “I see.”    

    “Don’t go jumping to conclusions, boy! You’re still going to run.”

     “How can I if you don’t let me tryout. You’re not just going to let me on the team without seeing what I can do.”

     “Your Track record speaks volumes, boy.”

     Shane sat back. “But I don’t think you’re the type of person to believe second hand words. I heard enough about you from Coach D… my high school running coach.”

     Coach Thompson cracked his first smile. “Observant and fast. Very good. No, I’m not that type of person. I have to see it to believe it.”

     “Then what-”

     “The tryout has been postponed.” Coach Thompson smiled grimly and steepled his fingers under his chin. “This morning I received a call from a mutual friend who informed me you had been in a recent accident and probably wouldn’t be able to run as you usually do. Looking at your face, I can see what he said was true. I was told your legs are in worse condition. So… we’ll wait until you have properly healed. I will not endanger your running career by making you run when you obviously shouldn’t.” He stood and leaned over his desk. “I’m disappointed you kept this to yourself, Williamson. Do you care so little for your running career? Were you really prepared to push yourself when you know you can’t possibly?”

     Shane remained quiet in shock.

     “Well?” Thompson demanded, frowning fiercely. “Have you nothing to say?”

     “I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t want any special treatment. I can run. I feel fine.”

     Coach Thompson grumbled as he pushed his chair back and rounded the desk. “Grab you bag. I’ll show you around.”

     Someone called? Who the hell thought they had the right? Shane seethed as he grabbed his bag and rushed after the coach. He wasn’t a fucking baby, and he didn’t appreciate having someone meddle into his affairs. Obviously it wasn’t Sheera, because she knew better, and Coach Thompson had referred to the person as being male.

     “Um… Just wondering, but-” he stopped himself. Maybe the Coach wouldn’t appreciate him asking such a question. But then again, it was about him, and he had to know. “Who called you about my… accident?” _And what exactly did they say about it?_

Jerry turned and gave the boy a half grin. It was obvious by the scowl on his face that he hadn’t appreciated the call. Obvious because the boy had shown up for his tryout, ready to run. “We may run into him while I show you around.” Thompson looked at his watch. “He’s usually at the pool round now. Anyway, this building is filled with offices. You won’t need to come here much. Usually myself and my assistant coaches are at the track or the indoor training facility. You need us, check those places first. Understand?”

     “Yes sir.”

     They walked through the building and out the back where Shane had his first glance of the beautiful track as well as the practice football field, which neighbored the building. In the far distance Shane could see the baseball field and a tennis court.

     “Looks great. Better than what we had at Freemon.”

     Thompson nodded. “We’re lucky to receive a substantial amount every year in donations. Allows us to keep up with repairs and improvements. Our training facility is state of the art.” Thompson’s tone dripped with pride.

The training facility is where they went next and Shane walked around with his eyes as wide as saucers. Coach wasn’t kidding. State of the art is exactly what it was. There were no less than six, _six_ weightlifting and exercise rooms, full of treadmills, steppers, bikes, elliptical trainers, rowers, and free weights… There was even a full sized indoor track and a basketball and tennis court. As they walked around, Shane noticed all the people who were inside using the facility to its full advantage, and he felt he couldn’t wait to take advantage himself.

     “I can see you’re excited.”   

     Shane nodded vigorously. “Can students use this place, even if they aren’t on any teams?”

     “Any enrolled student may use the facilities.” They stopped at a stairway and Coach pointed down. “We have an Olympic sized pool, located downstairs which I’ll show you later. Right now I’m more concerned with your injuries, so we’ll go and see the physical therapist for a bit.”

     “I’m fine,” Shane ground out but he was ignored and led upstairs.

     More motivational posters lined the hallway walls of the physical trainers offices, but Shane didn’t notice much as he was too busy staring at his shoes as he walked, glaring at his toes while Thompson went on about the skills of the physical trainer the Track and Field teams used… Shane planned to beat the shit out of whoever called and tattled on him. This was ridiculous. Mai had fixed him. He was perfectly fine and didn’t need to see a therapist!

     He nearly walked into the Coach’s back when he stopped and knocked on an open door. “Mary! You here?”

     There was the sound of water splashing and a kid yelled out, “oh hey, Coach!”

     Shane had no choice but to follow Coach Thompson inside, where he immediately spotted where the noise of the water came from. A guy, who looked a few years older than Shane, was lounging in the small bubbling spa, and was grinning outrageously at Coach Thompson.

     “Red!” Thompson barked. “What are you doing in there? I sent you along with Colin to make sure he didn’t hurt his foot further coming up.”

     “I uh…. I hurt my tailbone. Yeah, I fell on the way up. Anyway,” he went on when the coach frowned in disbelief, “Mary’s in the back with Colin. This the new kid?”

     Thompson ignored him, told Shane to wait where he was, then walked to the back.

     “You’re the new kid, right? Williamson?”

     “Yeah, that’s me. Who are you?”

     “Rich Jackson. But everyone calls me Red.” The guy motioned to his head of curly red hair and held his hand out and Shane crossed the room to shake it.

     “Shane.” He sat on the stool beside the small sauna when Red motioned him to do so.

     “Yeah. I heard you have rockets for feet. Everyone’s already talking about the rookie who’s as fast as a jet.”

     “Don’t know ‘bout all that. I just like to run.”

     “Also heard your grades are top notch and you got here by scholarship and your cousin is a good friend of Damien Shrod the III, whose father is the one that gives the sports program here the big donations every year.”

     “What the fuck? Didn’t realize my life was printed in a magazine.” He hadn’t realized he’d be walking into a place where his life was mostly an open book already. And he hadn’t wanted his running skills boasted around like that either. Though now he was even more curious about Damien. Just how rich was he?

     Red cocked an eyebrow at him. “Really hope you’re not one of them superstars who expect everything to be handed to you on a silver platter. Already got one of them. We don’t need another.”

     “Look man,” Shane said and stood. “I just want to run. That’s all.”

     “Calm down, dude. Shit. I was just letting you know. And since I don’t think you let your skills inflate your head, I’m going to warn you that many here are determined to show you up. Just a heads up. You’re a fish. It’s expected.”

     “Well thanks for the warning, I guess.”

     “Hey, no prob.”

     Shane lowered back to the stool. “My cousin hasn’t really told me a lot about Damien. I know he owns a club, but…”

     Red’s eyes widened in surprise at Shane’s lack of knowledge and then he laughed. “Shrod, dude. As in Shrod Group. The Shrod corporation which is technically a branded venture capital conglomerate. More than three hundred companies together. Shrod, dude,” he said again, grinning at Shane’s widening eyes. “The richest dude this side of America. Check _Forbes_ , man. There was a huge article about him in the last issue.”

     “Sheera never told me about that,” he murmured, trying to wrap his mind around the fact his cousin was best friends with a kagillionaire.

     Coach Thompson came back then with a woman in her early thirties, long black hair pulled back into a ponytail. She looked good for her age, and Shane thought she and Sheera looked very similar. She smiled as she and Coach Thompson approached.

     “Hello Shane. I’m Mary. Jerry tells me you need a look over.”

     “Not really.”

     “Let Mary be the judge of that, boy. You do as she says and I’ll forget about your hardheadedness. Be back for you shortly.” Coach Thompson nodded once to Mary before leaving. He stopped at the door and glared at Red. “Get your ass out of that tub, Red!” he bellowed, “this aint your own personal spa!”

     “Come with me, Shane,” Mary told him and he followed her to the back room. There he had to endure a regular physical; height, weight, everything before she made him lay on a thin hard bed. Oh but first she made him drop his pants. Shane didn’t think he had blushed so much in so little time.

     “Hmm…” Mary bent over his legs, prodding the bruises with a frown on her face. “This… doesn’t look like damage from a car accident.”

     _Car accident?_

Mary stood and frowned at his face now. “I know when I’m looking at damage inflicted by hands and feet, mister.”

     “It’s not like I purposely got into a fight, ma’am. I don’t even like fighting.”

     “That’s good. Coach Thompson is a no nonsense kind of guy when it comes to fighting. He finds you’ve been fighting, he’ll kick your butt off the track so fast you won’t know what hit you.”

     “I didn’t start it. I was ambushed.”

     “Your knuckles are damaged as well.”

     “Well yeah. I wasn’t going to sit there and let them beat me to death.”

     “Understandable. Okay, up you go. Looks like you’re healing really well.”

     “It’s okay if I run now?” Shane asked as he put his pants back on.

     “Yes. But if you feel something’s not quite right, then you stop at once and come back to see me. That’s an order.”

     Shane beamed at her. “Thanks!”

     Coach Thompson was waiting for him when he left the back room, and Shane took great pleasure in telling him that he could run whenever. He didn’t even look around the room as he returned, so he didn’t see that not only was Red still there, but also the Coach had brought someone back with him. “Can I try out now?”

     Jerry was a bit startled by the kid’s excited smile. It was wide and bright and infectious. “You are one persistent kid. Is he always like this?” Coach Thompson looked off to the left, and following his line of vision, Shane was surprised to find Tony sitting there beside Red. Tony sat forward with his hands dangling between his knees, and was staring intently at Shane. The dude’s hair was damp and he had a white towel hanging around his neck. As usual, Shane felt his face flush. _Fuck, not now!_

“Not sure, but if he’s anything like his cousin, then yeah.” Tony grinned when Shane frowned at him. “It’s the truth, brat.”

     Thompson blew out a breath. “Might as well then. You sure the kid’s good, Mary?”

     The physical therapist nodded. “Superficial damage is all he has. If he feels he can run, then he can.”

     “You going to the outdoor track?” Red asked and hopped up from his seat.

     “Suppose so,” Coach Thompson said.

     “Cool!” with that Red flew out of the room.

     Thompson started to laugh. “He’ll have the track surrounded by the time we get there.”

     “No doubt,” Tony replied as he stood and crossed the room until he was standing beside Shane.

     “What? Wait… what?” Shane’s head whipped back and forth between the Coach and Tony.

     “Hope you don’t mind an audience, kid. Ever since word got around that you were accepted here, people want to see you run.”

     Shane growled under his breath as he was led out of the therapy room, only to stop when Tony started to chuckle beside him. “Why are you here?”

     “I was swimming. Swim team. Jerry thought I might want to come and see what Mary says about your legs.”

     “Hold up!” Shane stopped short and glared at him. “You were the one to call Coach about my _accident_! What the hell made you think you had the right?”

     Jerry shot Tony an amused look before he continued down the hall, leaving the two young men alone. Tony turned to the irate track star in front of him. “I thought it was for the best. You were going to push yourself, even though you couldn’t have been certain your body can take it. You were being stupid and I knew Sheera wouldn’t-”

     “Fuck, man!” Shane shoved Tony back a few steps. “You had no right! You don’t know me. We’re strangers!”

     Tony’s green eyes darkened and narrowed. He grabbed Shane by the shirt and jerked him forward until only his hand kept their chests apart. “We are not strangers,” Tony hissed. “You know me, and I _know_ you.”

     Shane blinked rapidly and tried to slow his breathing. Through his anger he caught the way Tony had put extra meaning behind the last know. At least he thought that’s how it sounded. And anyway, he wanted to stay mad, but being this close to Tony was clouding his senses. He shoved against Tony’s chest, though that didn’t really get the result he wanted. It was like pushing against a brick wall. A brick wall he felt like exploring…The only reason he got free and was able to back up was because Tony let go of him. But then Tony stalked forward until Shane was backed against the wall.

     “If you knew me,” Shane said quickly, “you would have known that I don’t need any fucking help. I don’t want special favors. Goddammit! People are already talking about me.”

     “You don’t give a shit about that, Shane.”

     “Still. I don’t want to add more fuel to the fire-”

     “Shut the fuck up,” Tony hissed. “Being independent is great. Doing things on your own is fine. I respect that. But willingly putting yourself in danger is stupid. It’s something a child would do.”

     “If I didn’t think I could run, I wouldn’t have come here.”

     “Bullshit.”

     “You really are an asshole.” Shane was so mad that his fist curled into a ball. “Just… Just stay the fuck away from me.” He pushed the asshole away from him and ran off after the coach.

     Tony ran a hand through his hair. That didn’t go at all how he planned. In fact, the whole day was turning out to be a disaster. What the fuck happened to him staying away from Shane?

     He moved along after Shane, without rush. He was here. Might as well stay and see the brat run. He had been surprised, coming in for his swim, to hear all the talk floating around about Shane. Tony hadn’t known Shane was a Track star back home. Sheera had never mentioned it. He supposed it had a lot to do with the fact that Shane obviously didn’t want a big deal made out of it. But still, it was a surprise. The talk and Shane’s already apparent popularity. Shane was a running jewel come from a small town nobody had heard of and skilled athletes were all the rage at Allmsted University.

     By the time he arrived at the track, Shane had already changed and was running a slow lap to heat up. There was a crowd, but not overly large. Mainly the track team, at least the ones who had already been at the building working out and some others from other teams taking advantage of the excellent training facility they had.

     “Spat fire at you, didn’t he?” Jerry asked when Tony arrived and leaned against the fence next to him. Tony nodded, his attention solely on the lone runner. He didn’t even notice Red was standing next to him until he said something.

     “Shit.”

     The tone of his voice finally had Tony dragging his eyes away from Shane and looking at his friend. “Problem?”

     Red jerked a thumb over his shoulder. The current number one Track star had decided to make his appearance. It was a well known fact Kenny Hudson was someone who let fame get to his head and if he heard the rumors about Shane, it was a sure bet he was gunning against the blue-eyed freshman. Kenny didn’t take too well to competition. At all.

     The black man pushed into Red as he came to stand beside them. “That s’posed to be the rocket? That pale shrimp?”

     “Afraid of the competition, Hudson?” Red replied after noticing Tony’s hand gripped the top of the fence a little tighter.

     “Please. Look at him. Someone must’ve colored his track record.”

     Coach Thompson growled. “You two shut up.” He left them and approached Shane, who had finished his warm up lap and was waiting for instructions while he hopped from one foot to the other. When Thompson got to him, the crowd moved away from the gate to line the track.

     Kenny snorted. “Fun’s about to begin. Could use a laugh.” And then he walked off to join the rest of the crowd.

     “He gets worse every year,” Red said, deciding to stay along with Tony.

     Tony made a non-committal sound as he laid his arms over the top of the fence and dropped his chin to his arms. He could see Shane was seeing no one except the coach as he shook his arms and legs out, nodding as Jerry spoke to him while he adjusted the starter block. Shane was in his own world, nothing but determination on his face, and enjoyment in his eyes. The brat really did love to run.

     “Damn, they’re getting in the way! I want to see this.” Red pushed away from the fence and climbed the stands, and when Tony could no longer see Shane, he followed.

     “Can’t help but notice you’re completely focused on the fish,” Red said as he sat down. “Sheera’s cousin, right? Gay?”

     “Shut up. I’m trying to watch.”

     Red snorted, but otherwise kept his mouth shut.

     Shane crouched down and stretched his arms out, splaying his fingers apart against the brick red track. He stretched out one leg, and then positioned it against the block, doing the same for the other leg. Tony felt like an old pervert when he realized watching that tight body prepare to run was making him hard. He never had this reaction when watching any of his other friends preparing to run.

     Jerry raised the starter pistol and Shane’s backside lifted… Yeah, he was definitely a fucking pervert. For a moment, Tony leaned back and closed his eyes and didn’t even move when the pistol went off. He was seriously wondering what the hell was wrong with him.

     “Fuck, man! Look at him go!” Red looked over, noticed he wasn’t watching and jabbed his arm. “You’re missing it! Look!”

     Tony opened his eyes and focused back on the track, where Shane was already nearing the finish line for the hundred-meter dash.

     “Goddamn, that boy is fast! Coach will make him do it again. I want a closer look.” Red took off down the stands and across the field.

     Jerry did make Shane do it again. Shane ran the one hundred again, and then sprinted the two hundred. It was like watching a bird fly free, the way his flew around the track, his legs pumping so fast they were nearly a blur. Tony was sure the brat was going to break some records at Allmsted. By the time Shane had finished the two-hundred, Tony had moved closer and stood beside Red again.

     The only ones not singing praises about Shane’s running performance were Jerry and Kenny. Though Tony could see the excitement in Jerry’s eyes, but the man wasn’t going to gush over his brand new star in front of everybody.

     Kenny made it clear he thought Shane’s speed was a fluke. “Man… course he looks fast. Anyone can look fast running alone.”

     “Coach was timing it, dick head. He’s fast. That’s a fact,” someone said.

     “Whatever… Hey Coach! Why don’t you have someone race with him. See how that goes. I’ll volunteer. Like to see the shrimp beat my ass.”     

     “Fine. Get on the track. You too, Red.”

     “But he’s gonna make me look bad, Coach,” Red complained as he moved onto the track. Someone ran to grab two more starting blocks while Shane jogged back to Coach Thompson.

     “The track…” Shane panted as he used his shirt to wipe the sweat away from his eyes. He was grinning. “The track feels good.”

     “It likes you too.”

     “Hey, um… I didn’t mean to turn this into a show, you know… Sorry.” He smiled impishly and flicked away the dark blond hair plastered against his face.

     “You didn’t ask them to come. Never mind these people. We’re going to run a race here with Red and Kenny. You up for it?”

     “Yeah, sure. How far?”

     “Let’s do two, Coach!” Kenny called out.

     “Dude’s already sprinted four,” Red complained. “That’s not fair to him.”

     “No, it’s cool.” Shane shot Red a grin. “I can do another two hundred.”

     “Hey…” Tony reached out to grab his arm before he took off to join Red. “You sure you can do it?” Shane’s face contorted in anger, and Tony had to grip his arm harder. “I just want to make sure you’re okay, got it? That’s all.”

     “I’m fine,” he ground out and jerked his arm away. “Jesus, you’re annoying.”

     Tony stepped closer. “And you’re right. I’m an asshole.”

     “Really? You think?!”

     Tony grinned and took another step until they were nearly touching. He bent to whisper in Shane’s ear, “maybe you’ll let me make it up to you.”

     “Are we gonna race now or what, shrimp?” Kenny called out, but he was largely ignored.

     Tony chuckled when Shane started to blink rapidly at him. “Hey, don’t let me ruin your concentration.” He really hoped he hadn’t. But he couldn’t help saying that. He didn’t want the brat mad at him anymore. And maybe he wanted some sort of recognition as well.

     Shane surprised him by snorting. “Nothing disturbs me when I’m running.” He cleared his throat and jogged over to take his place in between Red and Kenny.

     “Stop flirting with my runners or I’ll have to complain to your mom,” Jerry said quietly as he raised the pistol. “Runners, ready!” The runners took their positions. Jerry squeezed the trigger and they were off. Kenny and Red took the lead, with Shane right behind looking unconcerned that he was in third place. By the time they were at the one hundred it became apparent why he was unconcerned. With a grin, Shane shot forward and quickly outstripped his competition.

     “Christ,” Jerry murmured as he quickly checked the stopwatch.

     Shane maintained his speed and there was no way the other two could catch up, not until Shane had passed the finish line and slowed to a jog.

     “Unbelievable,” someone muttered close by. “How could he run that fast for so long?”

     “Don’t know, but didn’t it look like he was holding back? Made it look so fucking easy.”

     “All right!” Jerry called out. “Tryout is over. All of you go about your business.”

     “God damn you’re fast kid,” Red said as they walked back over. “Had no chance against you.”

     “We need to work on your form,” Jerry said. “There’s a time and place for holding back. That wasn’t the time or place.”

     “That means he’s impressed,” Red whispered conspiratorially to Shane.

     “Need to check the shrimp for steroids,” Kenny muttered as he walked past them.

     Shane shrugged the comment off. He had better things to do then listen to some jack off’s jealous bad mouthing. Said a lot about the brat’s character. Tony wondered, since Shane could run so fast, how the brat had been beaten so badly. He asked that when Jerry walked off, muttering about fixing the schedule.

     “Fighting’s not my style,” Shane replied flatly, “but I’m not going run like a fucking chicken. I did some damage too.” He didn’t even look at Tony and the brunet assumed the brat was still mad at him. That was fine. Let Shane stew in his anger for a bit. He could deal with that for the time being. Besides, he needed to get to work and he needed to talk to Sheera.

     “Red, show Shane where the showers are.”

     “Yeah sure.”

     Tony reached out and pulled Shane’s hair. “Nice job, brat.”

     “Get off me! Don’t expect me to forget about what you did!”

     Tony was still grinning as he drove away from the campus minutes later.


	4. Episode Four

Tony walked into Strathom’s and managed not to cringe at the hideous clothing women spent far too much money on. It was ridiculous. And the worst part. He never saw these clothes on any normal person. After saying something like that the first time to Sheera, and then practically getting his ass kicked, he kept those comments to himself. Even though Sheera thought the same on occasion. But she was secretly loyal to the store and the man she worked for.

     As luck would have it, he spotted her at one of the registers, talking with a co-worker. He knew Sheera was just getting off of work, which is why he waited so late to come by.

     “Sheera.” Tony watched as she tensed before turning to face him. “I need to talk to you.”

       She turned back around to say goodbye to her friend and then swept past Tony towards the door. “Now you want to talk?”

     “Yeah, I want to talk now.” He followed her out of the shop and down the sidewalk. “Look, I don’t know what I’m doing… I mean, I know what I’m doing right here, right now, but…” Tony snapped his mouth shut and ran a hand through his hair.

     He’d had all this worked out before he came to see her, but now nothing seemed like the right thing to say. This was Sheera. This was his best friend. And this was about her cousin, whom she loved to pieces… maybe he shouldn’t do this. If things went sour, it would go sour for more than the intimate parties involved. Then again, he liked taking chances and the thought of not pursuing Shane made him think of lifelong regrets. It made him cringe.

     Sheera tilted her head and glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. “How ‘bout you buy me some Sushi and we can talk while we eat.”

     “Sushi sounds good.”

     They walked to the Sushi bar around the corner, a place Sheera frequented often. When she had her sushi, Sheera sighed in pleasure. “Yummy. I love sushi.”

     “Yeah, I know. You say that every time we come here.”

     “Smart ass. Anyway… Shane called me earlier to tell me how his tryout went.”

     “Yeah?” Tony pretended to be completely wrapped up in eating his sushi.

     “Don’t play dumb, Tony. He also said you had _the fucking nerve_ to call Coach Thompson and tell him about his injuries…”    

     “I didn’t want him to get hurt anymore. That’s all.”

     “You knew he would get pissed, yet you did it anyway.”

     “He was intent on running. Someone had to. And since I’m so close with Jerry, I knew I could get him to postpone the tryout without him asking too many questions…”

     “Tony, you just met Shane. Why do you feel that someone had to be you?”

       This is where the conversation turned serious, and Tony knew if he wanted Sheera’s cooperation, then he had better spew the truth of the matter. “What you said at Damien’s… You were right. I do.”

     “What, Tony? I said a lot of things?”

     “You’re going to make me say it?”

     “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied sweetly.

     “Would you mind if I dated him?” he finally ground out.

     “No, not at all.” She laughed delightedly at his shocked expression. “In fact I was prepared to tell you that last night. Only you acted like a big baby and ran off.”

     “You said a lot of crap, Sheera. How could you even think I only wanted to play with him?”

     Sheera looked upset being reminded about what she said. “I don’t know,” she whined. “Maybe its because I don’t know why you’ve taken such a sudden liking to him. I mean… it was practically from first sight, Tony. We’ve seen Damien do that with men he’s met, but never you. You move more slowly, so I was wary…”

     “It happened when I first looked into the brat’s eyes at the gas station.” Tony surprised them both by admitting. “And how could you compare me to Damien? I don’t have the emotional problems he has.”

     Sheera smiled softly. “I hadn’t realized until just now… but you use the term brat as a term of endearment.” She smiled when he swallowed thickly and averted his gaze. “Shane doesn’t appreciate it. Though I can’t see how he misses the change of your tone when you say it.”

     “He’s an oblivious brat.” He cleared his throat when he realized his tone was becoming wistfully sweet and Sheera’s smile had turned up a notch. “You should have seen him run. God, I can’t believe you never told me how fast he is. Had the whole campus talking this morning.”

     “He complained about that too.”

     “Better get used to it. Did he fail to notice, looking through the university brochures, that our sports programs are a big deal here?”

     “Shane came here on an academic scholarship not a sports scholarship. He loves running but he’s at Allmsted for an education above all else. Bet you didn’t know that.”

     “No, I didn’t know. After watching him run, I assumed it was a sports scholarship.”

     “Before we stop talking about him, because he would kill us to find out we’ve been talking about him, why exactly do you want to date him, Tony?”

     “Because I like him, obviously.”

     “Half assed answers will not work this time.”

     “Jesus, Sheera. What exactly do you want me to say?” he leaned forward and the seriousness in his eyes must have surprised Sheera, because her eyes widened. “I don’t know… I just have this overwhelming need to get to know him. I want to know everything about him, okay. I want to know what makes him laugh. I want to know what makes him mad, because he’s fucking sexy when he’s mad. I want to know what makes him sad too. I want to know what makes him cry so that I can be sure to keep from doing anything that could make him shed one fucking tear.”    

     “Good Lord, Tony… You know what this sounds like right?”

     “I suggest you stop right there. I’ve finished talking about this with you. It’s making me far too uncomfortable.”

     “Fine. Just one more thing… If you do anything to hurt him, I’ll castrate you, Tony.”

     “I’ll keep that in mind. But you’d probably have to wait behind Damien. Why has he taken such an interest in Shane anyway?”

     “To be honest I’m as completely baffled as you are, though if I had to take a guess, I’d say it’s because Shane is totally honest and up front. You know, anything Shane feels shows on his face. And honestly, it’s not hard to like my baby cousin.”

     “True.”

     “When are you going to ask him out?”

     “I don’t know. He’s mad at me right now.”

     Sheera laughed as she stood. “Don’t pout. It’s not manly.”

     “Fuck you.”

     Tony walked Sheera back to where her car was parked and she stopped him before he went to his own. “I’m going to Damien’s for a bit.”

     “Okay…” There was obviously a reason why she mentioned it and he waited for the rest of it.

     “He called me earlier. He’s… not doing so well, Tony. Someone at the office is really messing with his head.”

     Tony’s hands immediately balled into fists. Damien was a drama queen. Damien had emotional problems. Damien could be psycho sometimes… But Damien was a loyal friend and Tony loved him. The thought of anyone purposely messing with his unstable friend made him see red. “Who?” he growled.

     “He refuses to say. Believe me I’ve tried to get it out of him.” Sheera sighed as she pulled out a cigarette. “I think he needs us around more even though he’s been trying to keep from letting it show.”

     “Meet you there.”

     Tony fumed the entire way to Damien’s high-rise building. Many of Damien’s problems stemmed from his family, like most people. Damien’s mother had fucked him up from the moment she’d squeezed him out of her womb. Emotionally, physically, and recently she’d tried to fuck him over financially by trying to blackmail Damien’s father into denying his existence. The exact details of the blackmail were not known, but luckily nothing had come from it. And no one knew why she was hell bent on ruining Damien’s life. Personally Tony thought the woman was insane and many people believed Damien had inherited a bit of that insanity. Maybe he had.

     Damien’s father had also been a problem, but not as extreme as his mother. It was apparent soon into junior high that Damien was gay. He didn’t try to hide it at all. In fact he enjoyed flaunting it, especially since it pissed the old man off. For a while it was thought Damien would be disowned because of his behavior and sexual preferences. Damien’s father, Damien Harrold Shrod the II was an old fashioned man, and homosexuality was something he could not tolerate at one time. And then Damien had gotten sick. Very sick, and they’d nearly lost him. During the time it took for the doctors to cure him, Damien’s father realized what was really important. It was cliché, but it helped their relationship and Shrod’s attitude towards his son had made a complete 180. His attitude towards a lot of things had changed during that time. Shrod was cool now.

     So it wasn’t Mr. Shrod who was giving Damien problems at work. And it wasn’t his mother because she had been out of the picture ever since Shrod pulled up a restraining order against her. After what Sheera had told him, Tony was determined to find out who the fucker was…

     He and Sheera took the elevator up together and were surprised to find Damien was not alone. They walked in to the sound of laughter. For a moment, they froze just inside the door, afraid they were walking in on Damien with some random guy he was fucking at the time. Then Sheera huffed.

     “He told me I could come over,” she whispered. “If he’s doing something he wants to keep private, then he should have told me to stay away.”

     Tony couldn’t argue with that. He followed Sheera out of the hall and bumped into her when she stopped suddenly and stared into the living room. Looking over, he was surprised to find Shane was Damien’s visitor. They were both sitting in front of the television playing a video game.

     “No way! How’d you do that?” Shane demanded.

     “Practice Shane, practice.”

     “Whatever, cherry top. You have cheat codes! I saw you put them in when I went to the kitchen, _and_ you’re sitting on the fucking paper!” Shane shoved Damien over and snatched the paper out from under him.

     Damien laughed and snatched the paper back. “My hair is maroon! Not cherry, you bruised fruit! And this is my house so I can do what I want.”

     Shane started laughing harder. “That’s funny! Bruised fruit…” he snorted and then tried to cover it up by coughing.

     “God, he’s so damn cute,” Tony mumbled and then was mortified when Sheera started to giggle. He’d forgotten she’d been standing there.

     Sheera’s giggling drew the attention of the two in the living room. Shane took one look at him and scowled. Tony grew annoyed by this and turned away to the kitchen in order to raid the fridge.

     “Shane, how’d you get here?” Sheera asked.

     “I was walking around town and Damien called me—not gonna ask how he got my number…”

     “Then I had him picked up and brought here. Tony, get me a soda please.”

     Tony turned from the opened fridge and stared at his friend incredulously. “Damien, you are worth billions. Why the fuck is your fridge empty?” he raised his hand quickly when Damien opened his mouth. No doubt to give up yet another excuse of why he constantly let his kitchen go empty. “Never mind. I’ll go and get some stuff.”

      “Thanks, sweetie!”

     “Go with him,” Sheera told her cousin as Tony headed for the door.

     “I’m playing a game here, Sheera. You go with him.”

     Damien perked up and grinned at Sheera. “It’s okay. I need a break anyway. You go with Tony. I want to have girl talk with Sheera. We’ll play again when you come back.”

     “Man… this is so lame.”

* * *

 

Shane was determined to keep silent the entire time and nearly succeeded. He only broke the silence because Tony looked completely at ease with him being quiet.

     “How often do you do this for him?”

     “Whenever I happen to be there and it needs to be done,” Tony answered as he put a carton of eggs into the basket. “Otherwise he’d eat nothing but takeout. Damien enjoys being lazy.”

     So far Tony had grabbed eggs, milk, cheese, bread, an assortment of vegetables and fruits, some wine and beer, soda, and cereal.

     “But... if he’s who he is, why doesn’t he have maids or something to do it.”

     “He also likes his privacy. It’s complicated. A house cleaner comes twice a week, but that’s it.”

     Shane nodded to himself. He understood Tony was saying it wasn’t his place to talk about that. “You don’t mind doing it?”   

    Tony shrugged. “Not really. We’re over there a lot so it’s not like he uses all this stuff himself. Like I said, it’s no big deal.”

     “So… you and Damien are really close then.”

     “Yeah, but so are the others. We’re all really close.”

     Shane bit back the annoyance. That wasn’t really what he had meant. “Did you two ever… you know?”

     Tony glanced at him from the corner of his eye and Shane tried to look as if he didn’t really care what the answer would be. “Yeah. High school. Couldn’t do it for long though. Damien’s way too high maintenance, too much of a girl for me, and we discovered we’re better off as friends.”

     Shane started to chew his bottom lip and thought he would have rather not known Tony and Damien had once been boyfriends. It was ridiculous to feel jealous when they were obviously nothing but friends now.

     He supposed he didn’t mind being there with Tony so much, not really. Not when he was allowed a great view of the man’s fine ass as they walked around. And how was he supposed to stay mad when it was obvious Tony only had his friends’ best interests at heart. The guy frequently went grocery shopping for one of his friends for fucks sake. Once again he started to worry his bottom lip.

     “Stop it,” Tony said lowly.

     Shane looked up in surprise. He hadn’t noticed when Tony had turned around. “What?” he asked.

     Tony was giving him that intense look again. The look that had his spine tingling. The man leaned forward and with a finger, drew Shane’s lip away from his teeth. Shane went stiff in shock, though he very nearly moaned aloud when Tony drew the pad of his finger across his lip.

     “You’ll split your lip again, brat. It’s very distracting.”

     “Um… dis- distracting?”

     “Yeah. Very.” Tony grinned and backed away. “Let’s grab some snack stuff and then we’ll head back.”

     Shane nodded. After that it was easy for him to stay silent. He was completely shocked at how he was reacting to one small touch from the guy’s finger; from the way Tony’s green eyes had darkened when he looked at his mouth. Shane wasn’t sure what that look had been but he was positive he wanted to see it again.

     “Going to stay mad at me?” Tony asked as they rode the elevator up, bags in hand.

     Shane blew his long bangs away from his eyes and shrugged. “Not really mad anymore.”    

    “Can’t hold a grudge, huh?” Tony held the door open for him. “Lucky me.”

     Shane ducked his head as he passed Tony into the apartment. He realized Tony was mildly flirting but he didn’t take it too seriously. He was convinced Tony only saw him as a brat, as Sheera’s little cousin from a small town. What would a guy like Tony see in him anyway? Not much. Not when he could have someone better, older; not a stupid country bumpkin.

     “Food!” Damien jumped up and rushed into the kitchen as soon as the bags were placed on the counter. Shane removed himself from the close presence of the brunet and sank down next to Sheera on the couch. He bent over and began to knead his leg muscles.

     “Legs okay?” she asked.

     “Hmm? Oh, yeah. Just a bit stiff.”

     “You better not have over done it.”

     “I didn’t.”   

     “Because if you did I will call Aunt Daisy.”

     “And I will never speak to you again.” Shane looked away from her and studied the two in the kitchen. Tony was elbowing Damien out of the way while he tried to put away the groceries. Damien was only concerned with making his snack and making more of a mess.

     Sheera snorted and dropped her feet onto the black ottoman in front of the couch. “Oh sure. You’ll never forgive me, but you’ll forgive a virtual stranger for telling on you.”    

     “What?” Shane barely heard her. He was watching as Damien got fed up with being pushed and threw a handful of grapes at his friend. Before he could duck away, Tony lunged forward and grabbed him in a headlock.

     “Oww! Oww, Tony! Le’go, you big brute!” Damien wailed. Tony ignored him and continued to put away the stuff with one hand, dragging Damien along with him.

     “Tony,” Sheera went on quietly. “You didn’t stay mad at him for long. Why is that?”

     “Who says I’m not mad at him?”

     “Oh please. I saw the sappy grin on your face when you walked in.”    

     Shane twisted around to face his cousin. “SHHH! Jesus, Sheera.”   

     Sheera was the picture of innocence. “What? What did I say?”

     “Never mind.” A burning question was on his mind now and because he didn’t want to be overheard he decided he would ask Sheera now instead of when Damien and Tony had returned from the kitchen. “Um…” he leaned into Sheera’s side and whispered, “what kind of guys do those two like?”

     Sheera looked like she was trying not to laugh. “Damien has high standards. A man has to have looks, class, and money; want no sort of lasting relationship beyond one or two fucks, and his partner has to do the fucking.” She laughed when Shane blushed. “And Tony has always liked the pretty boys. Though it isn’t all about looks. If they’re retarded he doesn’t give them a second look. He’s a guy all about substance.”

     “Does he have a boyfriend?” _Yeah, Shane. Just announce to the world that you want him._ But he really couldn’t help but ask. He wanted to know and he didn’t want to waste time finding it out for himself. He could have asked Tony, but once again he didn’t want to obvious. He’d rather look pathetic to Sheera than to Tony.

     “No, Damien doesn’t do those types of relationships. Not since high school. To him, being emotionally attached is like getting a disease. We’re just lucky we met him in middle school… that’s why we think its so strange Damien has taken such a liking to you.”

     Shane sighed and sat back, covering his eyes and resisting the urge to snap at her. She was purposely teasing him, which meant she must have a good idea as to why he was inquiring. To spare any more embarrassment, Shane didn’t ask anything further. It was sort of depressing. Shane knew he was smart, but he didn’t think he was all that good looking…. Once again he was gripped with the realization that he could never attract someone like Tony.

 

* * *

 

     “Anything you want to talk about?”

     Damien glanced at Tony from the corner of his eye. “Sure. Let’s talk about cutie.”

     “Not what I meant and you know it.” A tight smile crossed his face when Damien pouted and slouched against the counter. “Something’s been bothering you- more than usual.”

     “It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

     “Tell me anyway.”

     Damien scratched the side of his nose as he thought about it. And Tony was surprised to see misery in his eyes instead of anger when he finally said something. “Some people don’t take me seriously at work. I’ve worked so hard… You know I love working for my father. I love business. I love every aspect of it.”    

    “Yeah, I do know,” Tony said because it was true.

    “No matter how much I prove that I can do the job and more, some people refuse to see beyond the fact I’m my father’s son. That’s not what I want people to see when I’m trying to do a job.”

     “When you say some people…”

     “One person in particular.” Damien’s voice was a near growl. “He never wants to listen. It’s crazy! He’s skipped levels too! Daddy hired him right out of Oxford and placed him at the top! It pisses me off! He has no right to comment on my placement because of that, but he’s always giving me grief, always making stupid comments. Some things he says to me have nothing to do with business. He’s started making things personal. And Daddy!” he exclaimed incredulously. “Daddy adores the fucking prick! It’s not fair!”

     “Who is it?”

     Damien took a deep breath and then smiled wryly. “It doesn’t matter, Tony. I swear I’m not about to go postal over the guy.”

     “You say that but I don’t believe you. I don’t believe you because I know you.”

     “That’s not nice,” Damien said as he planted fists on his hips. “You’re supposed to believe everything I say.”

     Tony snorted.

     “Whatever.” Damien stuck his tongue out at him, and then looked into the living room. “I’m going to go have a private word with the cute fairy over there.” Damien grabbed the sandwich Tony had just finished and spun around. But before he could take a step, the tall brunet grabbed onto his arm and pulled him close.

     “What exactly are you going to talk to him about?”

     Damien grinned impishly. “He looks down so I’m going to fix it.”

     “Why are you so protective of him anyway? If I didn’t know better I’d say you wanted him.”

     “Jealous?”

     “Maybe.”

     “Good.” Damien smirked before sauntering into the living room.

 

* * *

 

Shane was dragged from the living and pulled into the master bedroom. Before Damien shut the door, Shane saw the man shoot a nasty smirk out into the living room. Looking over Damien’s shoulder, the track star was surprised to find Tony’s eyes burning with anger.

     “Um… Why did you bring me in here?” Shane asked after the door was shut.

     “To piss Tony off. Don’t worry. I’m not going to attack your sweet innocence.”

     Shane blew out an annoyed breath. “I’m not a virgin. Well beyond that,” he muttered.

     Damien looked surprised by this. “Really? Well that is a surprise. I was sure you were. Man or woman?”

     “I’ve been with both.”

     Damien looked doubly surprised. Shane glowered. Why was it automatically assumed he’d never had sex? Did he look like he couldn’t get anyone? Was he that unattractive? It was really pissing him off that he was constantly being made to doubt himself here.

     “Hey…” Damien said softly, discarding the uneaten sandwich down on the desk nearby. Concern laced his voice. “What’s wrong?”

     “Nothing.”

     “I didn’t mean to offend you, Shane.”     

     “It’s nothing. Forget it.”

     Shane ignored Damien’s searching stare and looked around the massive room. It was a loft room. The bottom area, the part they stood in now, was made into a very sleek and modern office. To the left there were stairs that Shane assumed led to the bedroom area. Again he was reminded about just who was in front of him. Strangely though, Shane didn’t see some billionaire heir in front of him. Shane saw a hot guy with real concern in his eyes. He was glad he could look past what he’d learned and still just see him as Damien, Sheera’s crazy best friend.

     “Something’s got you down and since you’re in my house, I demand you tell me what it is at once!” Damien scolded as he crossed the room and lowered himself into the small sofa against the wall.

   “You’re funny,” Shane finally said as he dropped down beside him.

     “The proper term is queer. So spill.”

     “Um… this is going to sound kind of pathetic and I’m not sure why I’m asking. But I want to know and I don’t want to ask Sheera because she’ll make fun of me, even though I’m sure you’re going to make fun of me too and I don’t really know you that well, but you seem to be an expert at it…”

     “At what?” Damien asked excitedly and he leaned towards Shane. “Tell me, tell me.”

     Shane laughed. How odd, but… Damien had a way about him that put Shane at ease. “Well, okay… So I have this crush on someone and he’s fucking gorgeous. I’m sure he has to be popular and everything and I heard he likes pretty boys and stuff. And I just-- I don’t think I have a chance at all because I’m not really good-looking, just average. And maybe I’m too young, too…. I’m kind of at a loss here. So I’ve been feeling depressed about it and this isn’t usually how I am. I don’t like feeling negative all the time…” Shane shot his new friend a glare when Damien started to chuckle.

     Damien couldn’t help it. Shane was cute and oblivious. “You think you have no chance because you’re not pretty?”

     “You saying it that way makes it sound girly.”

     “Thanks! Now just so you know, that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. Whoever said you’re not attractive. You think I go around calling everyone cutie? You ever heard me call Caleb or Tony cutie?”

     “No.”

     “In the looks department, you’ve got it going on. Trust me on this. Like you said, I’m an expert. I would chase after you myself if only you liked to do the fucking instead of being fucked.”

     Shane sputtered. “How the fuck did you- how could you…”

     Once again Damien was racked with laughter at the brilliant shade of red on Shane’s face. “So in closing, what the fuck are you doing wallowing with insecurities? You should be trying to get your man! You should try to figure what makes your guy tick. You won’t gain anything by sitting on your fucking ass doing nothing but moping. I heard you were outgoing. Heard you had no fear… sure doesn’t seem like it to me.”

     Shane opened and closed his mouth several times before anything would come out. “He could have a boyfriend,” he finally managed. “And like I said, I’m probably too young.”

      “Most gay men tend to not care about age as long as you’re legal." Damien grinned and stood. "By the way, Tony isn’t seeing anyone at the moment.” And with that he left the room, leaving Shane sitting there with his ears now turning red as well.

* * *

  _Damn that was fun!_ Damien thought as he left his room. Seeing the surprised look on cutie’s face. And it had been surprising. Shane had been insecure about his looks. That was… so damn cute! So now that Shane had one of his supreme pep talks, Damien wondered when the show would begin. What would he do now? Was Shane one of those guys who wanted the more macho man to do everything, or was Shane like him and frequently took matters into his own hands when he wanted something. Either way, it was going to be so much fun to watch Tony squirm, trying to hold back from doing the things he knew was in his friend’s perverted mind.

     “Did you figure out what was wrong with him?” Tony asked.

     “Yeah. He’s good now.”

     “You didn’t tell him about…”    

     “What? That you’re enchanted by him?” Damien grinned cheekily as he sat beside Sheera. “No. That would take away the fun.”

     “I’m not enchanted,” Tony mumbled half-heartedly. He ignored Sheera and Damien’s incredulous snorts.

     “Didn’t take long for you to make him feel better. How exactly did you?” there was definite suspicion in Sheera’s voice.

     “Mind out of the gutter, hun,” Damien said and then looked at Tony. “Besides, Shane’s not a dominant, if you know what I mean. So we’re obviously not compatible.”

     “Oh, eww!” Sheera covered her ears. “Did not need to know that about him!”

     Shane came out then, staying anything Tony might have wanted to say about that. Though from looking at him, Damien was sure his friend was lost in a fantasy. His dark green eyes swept up and down Shane’s body and they were slightly unfocused…

     The cutie hesitated in the center of the living room, his face blank of any expression as he scanned the faces of those sitting down, and when Shane’s eyes landed on him, Damien smirked and cut a glance at Tony where he sat on the loveseat.

     “Why do you look disgusted, cuz?” Shane asked as he confidently strode to the loveseat and sat beside Tony. The man stiffened when Shane let his thigh brush his.

     Damien inwardly cackled with glee. “She finally realized what a disgusting freak _Marc_ is.”

     “Damien!” Sheera’s screech had all three males groaning in pain.

     “We should meet up for lunch tomorrow,” Damien went on, easily ignoring the evil aura coming from the woman sitting beside him. He could ignore it because he had an evil aura of his own. “If our class schedules allow it.”

     “I’m free from twelve to three,” Sheera said.

     “Classes end at one for me,” Damien replied. “How ‘bout you, cutie?”

     “Get off at two.”

     Tony finally shook himself out of the stupor he’d fallen into. “Got two classes in the morning. Then I’m in the lab all afternoon. I can take lunch whenever I want though.”

     “Anyone know Mai and Caleb’s?”

     “Nope. I’ll call Mai later,” Sheera said.

     “You work in a lab?” Shane asked Tony, his blue eyes gone curiously wide with excitement. “What kind of lab?”

     “Biochemistry.”

     Shane shifted in until their arms were touching and their thighs were pressed firmly together. Damien thought Tony would have a heart attack any second now. “Is that your major?”

     Tony managed to grin. “Yeah. Why? You like science?”

     Sheera snorted. “Please don’t get him started… Look at him. Like a kid in a candy store.”

     “Excuse me for liking something other than fashion,” Shane snapped at her.

     “Yeah, but I never set the school on fire with one of my projects.”

     “That was an accident,” he ground out. “Besides, I got top scores for that project.”

     “Whatever. It was seventh grade.”

     “You brought it up, Sheera!”

     Tony and Damien sat back and watched the two continue to bicker. Damien looked amused and shot Tony a knowing grin. The brunet licked his lips and continued to watch his prey who was now sitting practically on top of him.

     Damien tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Going into the science field, Shane?”

     Shane nodded. “Yeah. Not sure what, though… I’ve decided to use this year to think about it.”

     “Any favorites?”

     His brow furrowed in thought for a moment. “I like physics, biology, astronomy- a number of fields with that one. Most fields of chemistry… Oh god, and bioengineering! I’ll probably do that—what?” he asked after noticing the odd look on Tony’s face.

     Tony didn’t answer him and instead looked at Sheera. “Is he for real?”

     Sheera rolled her eyes. “Yes. He’s a regular Einstein.”

     “No, I’m not. I just like that stuff.”

     “Shane, you’re a nerd. Get over it.”

     Said nerd glared and sat back with a huff. “Not a nerd…”

     Damien sat back and watched with rapt interest, wondering who was going to make the next move. It would probably have to be Shane because Tony was leaning away from the younger guy now and looking away. Probably to keep himself from doing something Shane might not appreciate in the presence of others. If there was one thing that turned Tony on it was definitely a sexy boy with a big brain. But Shane was still stewing about the nerd comment, and seemed lost in thought.

     Once Tony noticed Shane was brooding, he shifted back towards the track star and threw an arm over the back of the seat, letting his fingers rest a breath away from the nape of Shane’s neck. “Don’t worry about it,” he said softly. “She’s just jealous because her brain’s the size of a peanut.”

     “That’s absolutely true.” Shane smirked at Sheera’s outraged expression. In the next moment Sheera’s cell went off, cutting off any retort she might have had. Damien and Tony half glared at the phone when they recognized the tone. Marc was calling again.

     Damien stretched out on the couch once Sheera stood to take the call in another room. “You really should change his ring tone to that Britney song!” he yelled. “You know the one… That womanizer song.”

     “Shut up!” Sheera yelled before slamming the door.

     “I don’t know why she continues to see him. Then again, I think she’s using him as a shield,” Damien said and pretended not to notice when Tony’s fingers began fondling the long strands of hair at the back of Shane’s neck. The cutie’s cheeks were slightly red and his eyes were wide in surprise, but he didn’t move while Tony was looking across the room. Damien wondered if Tony realized what he was doing.

     Sheera quickly returned and Tony dropped his hand. “I’m going out.” She looked at Shane, “Want me to drop you off home?”

     “No,” Damien said before Shane could answer. “I’ll drive him home. It’s still early.”

     “Or I can take the bus,” Shane replied before looking at Damien. “I don’t want to stay if you’ve got something to do.”

     “Just go.” Damien waved Sheera away. “Take the bus? Disgusting.”

     “Bye then.”

     “You’re touching my hair,” Shane whispered once the door had closed behind her and Tony’s fingers once again started playing with his hair.

     “Yeah,” Tony answered.

     “Why?”

     “Because I can… you want me to stop?”

     Shane shrugged as if it were no big deal, though he felt like his heart would beat right out of his chest. He distracted himself as best he could by jumping in to join Tony and Damien in more bashing of Sheera’s jerk boyfriend.    

* * *

Tony ended up taking Shane home. He all but demanded it when Damien, the ass, kept insisting he would do it. Insisting only because he knew it would piss Tony off. And it did. Then Shane kept insisting he didn’t mind taking the bus. Didn’t want to make either of them go out of their way. And that ended up pissing the older guys off further.

     So now they were almost to Sheera’s house and Shane was talking a mile a minute, asking loads of questions about the labs he worked in, what kind of experiments were being run, the kind of equipment used. His eyes were shining so brightly, and his smile was so big… The brat had no idea what he was doing. Tony answered all his questions as best he could, kept a tight grip on the steering wheel and glued his eyes to the road- he had an overwhelming urge to turn his head and just stare.

     He was both relieved and disappointed when they got to Sheera’s house.

     “Thanks for the ride. Later!” The brat was out of the car and half way up the walkway before Tony could blink.

     The brunet threw open his door and raced after him. “Shane! Hold up!”

       Shane turned around right before reaching for the door. “What?”

     “Why’d you take off so fast?” Tony asked as he came to stand in front of Shane.

     “Well- I…” he trailed off and looked away.

     “You what?” Tony was aware of the small space in which they stood by the door and used it to his full advantage by putting his hand against the wall next to Shane’s head and leaning in.

     “You don’t want to hang around with a brat, right? Couldn’t possibly be good for your image,” Shane said coolly.

     Tony could recognize nerves when he saw it. “You, I definitely don’t mind.” He moved even closer and enjoyed hearing Shane’s breath hitch from his near presence. “Anyway… I want you to come by and I’ll show you the labs tomorrow. Want to?”

     Shane’s nerves instantly vanished. “Hell yeah!”

     Tony reached out to play with the ends of Shane’s hair. “What’ll you give me if I let you touch the equipment?” he asked lowly, bending so that his lips brushed against Shane’s cheek.

     He drew back in surprise when Shane laughed lowly. “What kind of equipment are we talking about here?”

     “State of the art.” His fingers drifted down from Shane’s hair to lightly grip the nape of his neck.

     “You use it properly?” Shane’s voice came out in a coy breathlessness that nearly had Tony moaning aloud. The brat knew how to play. Awesome.

     “We’ll see…” Tony’s gaze drifted down to the track star’s lips as they unconsciously moved towards each other. “Won’t we?”

     Shane’s nod was almost imperceptible but Tony took it as a resounding yes. His mouth curved into one of his feral grins as his hands dropped down to entwine their fingers. He backed Shane against the wall and raised their hands to press them beside Shane’s head and trapped the brat in place.

     Shane gave no resistance when their lips met and Tony could not hold back the moan of pleasure as his tongue ran along the brat’s lips. Shane’s fingers flexed and then tightened at the sound he made. Tony watched Shane’s blue eyes disappear behind long lashed lids as he leaned into the kiss, parting his lips, asking for more.

     “Ahem!”

     Shane backed away first, slamming into the corner in surprise, while Tony twisted around to glare at whomever dared interrupt his first kiss with Shane. A first kiss that hadn’t gone on long enough. A first kiss that was barely a kiss at all. He hadn’t even gotten a proper fucking taste!

     “Oh, h- hey, Uncle!” Shane stammered. “Long time no see…”

     Recognizing Sheera’s father, Tony felt dread punch him in the gut. This was not good. To be caught kissing the man’s eighteen year old nephew, who had only moved there two days ago. He was going to get labeled a pig for moving so fast. He was going to get his ass kicked by the big burly man who was solely responsible for Sheera knowing all sorts of painful self-defense techniques.

     “It’s good to see you, Shane.” Richard Target sighed and rubbed his forehead. “It’s unfortunate I haven’t been able to see you before now. But work’s been busy…”

  
     “No, I- um…” Shane gave a quick look to Tony. “I understand.”

     “Tony,” Rich greeted lightly. “How many times must I tell you not to park that POS in my driveway at night? You’ve blocked me from getting in. Not to mention your door’s wide open and the car’s still running…” Through all this he looked amused, so Tony had started to relax. Until Rich spoke again. “Come and move it, and then we’re going to catch up.” He pierced Tony with an unreadable expression before turning away to head back to the driveway.

     Shane started laughing as soon as his uncle disappeared around the corner. “Man… you look so scared right now.”

     “It’s not funny!” Tony snapped. “Rich could kill me with his bare hands.”

     “Yeah, he could…”

     “Hey.” Shane stopped laughing at the seriousness of Tony’s tone and looked at him, uncertain what was about to be said. “Go out with me.”

     Shane grinned and reached behind him for the doorknob. “I’m not sure… if that weak kiss is all you have to offer.”

     Tony’s eyes narrowed. “What?”

       Shane twisted the doorknob. “I’m going to have to think about it.”

     “Stop playing.”

     “TONY!”

     Shane laughed as the door opened and he slipped inside. “Later.”

     Tony stared at the closed door, heard Shane’s laughter, and snorted. Stupid brat. He turned around and headed to the driveway, going over in his mind what he was going to say to Rich, because he was certain a verbal beat down was waiting for him. Tony hurried and moved his car, not the least bit disturbed that he’d left it unlocked and running… no one would have taken it anyway. He parked on the side of the road and quickly pulled out a cigarette as Rich pulled into the driveway.

     “I have no idea how he took what he saw…” Tony muttered before pulling in a drag. How long had Rich been standing there? How much was heard? Seen?

     The cigarette was suddenly plucked from between his lips through the open window and tossed onto the road. Rich opened the door and gave him a level look. “Stop smoking,” he repeated for the millionth time. He’d been telling Tony and Sheera that for years. “Been a while since we’ve spoken, Tony. Let’s go into my office.”

     Tony didn’t think he had any other choice. As he walked after Rich back to the house, he looked up, noticing a light come on from the room over the garage. He couldn’t help but smile when the curtains were pushed aside to reveal Shane.

     “Made fast friends with Shane I see,” Rich remarked as they went into the house and he led the way to his office.

     Tony sent a stiff wave to Sheera’s mom when she looked out of the kitchen, hearing her husband’s voice. “Yeah,” Tony replied uncertainly.

     Rose cocked her head to the side, trying to figure out why Rich was heading straight to the office without a word, Tony in tow. It was not unusual for Tony to drop by. In fact it was usual for Tony to be at the house for hours with Sheera sometimes. He visited so much that Sheera’s parents had insisted some years ago that he call them by their given names. He was really considered a part of the family, which was why Rose looked confused. Usually if Rich and Tony were having a discussion, they’d do so in the living room or kitchen.

     Shane came down as soon as he realized his uncle had brought Tony in and his amusement had turned into worry. But then Richard shot his nephew a grin as he shut the door behind Tony.

     “Uncle Rich still like jokes?” he asked his aunt when going to the kitchen.

     “Lord yes! I figured he would grow out of it. Sadly that is not the case. As the man grows older, it seems his mind gets younger.”

 

* * *

 

“Haven’t seen you round recently,” Richard said as he set his briefcase onto his desk before perching on the front edge.

     Tony hovered near the closed door, his hands deep in his pockets and eyes plastered to the floor. “Working a lot. Getting ready for school,” he shrugged. “Been busy.”

     “I did notice that. Real busy.”

     Tony finally met the man’s gaze. Rich’s face was emotionless, which was something he hardly ever saw. But Tony continued to meet his gaze because he knew Rich would respect that more and Tony wasn’t used to hiding. Rich went around his desk to the tall bookcase behind it and started looking for something.

     “Let me tell you a story, Tony. Sit down. This may take a while.”

     Tony went to the corner and sat in the dark red leather chair, his nerves stretching tighter as every second passed. When was he going to ask? Why wasn’t Rich getting to the point he knew was the reason he’d been brought into the privacy of the office.

     Rich pulled down a thick old photo album. He sat behind his desk and set the album in front of him to fold his hands over it. “Some years ago,” he began in a straight manner, “there was a beautiful woman- now I know you don’t like women that way, but just hear me out.”

     _Do I have a choice?_ Tony nodded.

     “This woman was well sought after by many, though no one could ever get as close to her as they liked due to her father and four brothers. The father wanted his daughter to stay pure for as long as he lived, and if a man so much as touched her, there would be dire consequence. There would be hell to pay. By him and by each of her brothers.”

     “Seems extreme,” muttered Tony.

     Rich narrowed his eyes. “You think so?”

   Tony cleared his throat and looked away. God, kill him now. He was almost thinking Shane wasn’t worth this.

     “Nevertheless, that was the old man’s thinking. One day a young man moved to town and when he met this lady, he immediately wanted her. Her beauty was unlike anything he had ever seen and he needed to possess her.” As Rich spoke, he opened the photo album and began to flip through it. “Unlike all the other men, this young man was able to _seduce_ ,” the timbre of Rich’s voice dropped to a flatness that had Tony’s knee jumping spastically, “the young woman and she fell in love with him. Should be a happy ending, right?”

     Tony could only shrug helplessly. Was Rich comparing this woman to Shane, and was he comparing Tony with the out-of-towner? Was Rich saying he was like the old fashioned old man? What the fuck was he trying to say?

     “Well it wasn’t!” Rich snapped and schooled his features into anger. “You know what we did to that bastard who dared put his hands on my sister? Do you know what me and my brothers did to that man?” Rich found the page he was looking for and picked up the photo album. He pressed it to his chest as he rose and began to circle his desk. When he was standing in front of Tony, he pulled the photo album away and handed it to Tony, who took it with slightly shaking hands.

     Tony figured he had a right to fear the man standing in front of him. Rich was looking unhinged at the moment. And when he looked down at the album, Tony felt every drop of blood leave his face. It was a picture of Rich and all his brothers, and another man whom Tony assumed was their father. All five were armed with shotguns.

     “Shane’s not my son or my daughter, but he’s family and it means the same thing,” the man practically growled. “He’s only eighteen, Tony.”

     “H-hold up, Rich!” Tony lifted his hands in surrender for whatever it was he did. This couldn’t be about the kiss could it? It had only been a little kiss after all. “I haven’t seduced anyone!”

     Rich snatched back the album and tossed it onto his desk. “You just wait right here.” And with that Rich left the office. Tony stared after him in horror for about five seconds and then jumped up and ran out into the kitchen.

     “He’s gone insane,” Tony told Rose, “and he’s gonna shoot me.”

     “Who, dear?”

     “Rich! Your husband!” he exploded. “You should have seen him and heard what he was saying! And he had a picture-”

     “Man, look at your face!” Shane was hunched over with uncontrollable laughter, but still managed to point a finger at the guy’s face. “I’ve never seen anyone so pale!”

     Tony glared at him. He didn’t need to sound so gleeful.

     “I’m confused,” Rose said. “Why do you think you’re in danger of being shot?”

     “He freaking accused me of seducing this ass and now he wants to shoot me!”

     Rose blinked a couple of times before looking at Shane. The laughter ended and Shane’s face bloomed a lovely shade of red as he slowly straightened in his seat. Tony sort of loved that blush, but now was really not the time.

     “Don’t get embarrassed now. This is your fault.”

     “I didn’t do anything!”

     “Only made me want to stick my tongue down your throat—which I didn’t even get a chance to do! And now he wants to shoot me.”

     Rose cleared her throat. “Ah, is there something going on between you two? Are you dating?”

     “Better be,” Rich said from the doorway, “after the way I caught them.”

     Shane lifted his head and opened his mouth, but then shut it and smirked.

 “I hardly did anything,” Tony replied after seeing no gun of any kind in the man’s hands. “I was interrupted.”

     Finally Richard produced a smile. “That’s the Tony we know.”

     “Well this is something I never saw coming,” Rose replied before turning back to the stove. “Though I guess it shouldn’t be that much of a surprise. Shane, you are very pretty for a boy. Short and slender, and you’ve got the prettiest lips and eyes….”

     “Aunt…”

     “It’s the truth. No wonder Daisy wanted to keep you locked up tight. That’s what she said last night.” Rose laughed, eyes alight with humor when she turned back to look between him and Tony. “And she was right, wasn’t she? Not here a week yet and look what’s happened. Tony’s pounced already. Really should not be surprised.”

     Tony gritted his teeth. “I did not pounce.” Though it had been a close thing. Never mind that though… This conversation was completely irrational and he was still uncertain as to whether he’d get out of the house in one piece.

     “It was a joke,” Shane finally said after watching Tony stare at his uncle, clearly expecting the man to whip out a weapon any second. He stood and made his way by Rich. “I’m going to bed.” It was quiet in the kitchen until they heard his bedroom door shut.

     Wonderful. Now he was left alone with the guardians, both looking entirely too amused by the whole thing. “I guess it wasn’t very respectful to do that right in front of the house,” he finally said as an apology.

     Rich snorted. “Tony. You’ve never been one to hold back when you want something.”

     Finally Tony grinned smugly. “Yeah, that’s true.” And he wanted Shane so bad.

     “Aside from all that, Shane didn’t look like he minded. Which is why I was only amused and surprised when I walked up.” Rich turned to glare at his wife. “Somebody forgot to mention Shane liked boys too.”

     “Don’t look at me like that, mister. I was only told last night.”    

     “Hmmm.” Rich checked the Rolex on his wrist before looking at Tony. “You’ve got classes early tomorrow. You should be going home. I’ll walk you to the door.”

 

* * *

 

Tony sent a text message to Damien the minute he got home. **SOMETHING FUCKED UP HAPPENED.**

Half a minute later his cell rang. The moment he answered it, Damien started talking before he could get a word in, his voice pitched it worry. “ _What happened? You okay? Shane okay? Did you get into an accident? HELLO?! Why aren’t you saying anything? Speak damm-”_

“Calm the fuck down! Nothing like that happened. We’re both fine.”

     _“Oh…”_ A second went by, and then Damien’s voice turned curious _, “soooo? What happened with the cutie?”_

 “Like I said. Something fucked up happened.”

     _“What? Did Shane make a move before you did? I expect that’s what happened. Bet you anything that boy’s a wildcat in bed.”_

“Don’t you ever shut up?”

     _“No. So tell me.”_

     And Tony told him everything that had happened and by the time he was done, Damien was laughing his ass off. _“Oh God! You thought Rich was really going to shoot you? That’s hilarious!”_

“Oh, ha ha… Didn’t think it was funny. You would have believed him too had you seen the crazy look in his eyes.”

     _“Aahh, and so the first kiss was ruined. How tragic.”_

“For once I’m in complete agreement.”

     _“At least you got somewhere… I was afraid one of you would chicken out.”_

“If a move hadn’t been made, it wouldn’t have been because I’m chicken. It would have been because I don’t want to scare him.”

     _“Yeah, whatever.”_

     “There’s something else I’ve been thinking about.”

     _“And? Come on, don’t leave me hanging.”_

     “Rich and Rose are odd.”

     There was a short moment of silence. _“How so?”_

     “They are two of the most accepting people I have ever met. You should have heard them, taking it all in stride. Just weird.”

     _“I’m sure it’s because they know you so well, Tony. They trust and love you. They helped raise you.”_

     Tony smiled. Damien sounded to be in a calm sensible mood that evening. It wasn’t a rare occurrence, but it wasn’t frequent either. “Maybe. So I’m showing Shane the labs tomorrow.”

     _“Ooh. Kinky.”_

     “You’re fucked up, Damien. You know that.”

_“And you still love me.”_

     “Yeah. Going to bed.”

     _“Sweet dreams!”_

     “Later.”


	5. Episode Five

Rich was just finishing his coffee when Shane bounded down the stairs and into the kitchen. Rich checked the clock just to make sure he hadn’t lost time. It was unusual for anyone to be up as early as he was.

     “Morning, Uncle,” Shane greeted as he dropped his gym bag and backpack next to the doorway and headed straight for the breadbox.

     “Good Morning. You’re up early.”

     “Nah. I’m always up this early. Morning runs. Can’t wait to hit the track again.” Shane pulled out one piece of bread and then back tracked to grab his bags. “See you later.”

     “Hold on a minute.” Rich put his coffee cup into the sink. “Work’s on the way to your school. I’ll drop you off.”

     “Thanks!”

     “If you really do get up this early on a regular basis, I’ll be happy to take you every day. There’s no need for you to catch a bus.”

     “Awesome!”

     Once they were in the car and on the way, Shane started to talk about the sports facilities in detail. The boy’s excitement was bubbling. After that he started to talk about the science labs and Tony’s promise to show him around, and his excitement doubled. Rich just smiled and shook his head a little in fond amusement. He’d forgotten how excitable Shane could be. In that regard he was the exact opposite of Sheera.

     “I’m glad to know you’ll be happy at Allmsted.”

     “Yeah, I’m excited!”

     “You’ll probably be changing your mind once you have your classes. Professors here are strict.”    

     Shane snorted. “I’m not afraid of hard work.”

     Rich patted Shane’s arm. “That’s the spirit. Just keep going no matter how hard it is and you’ll pull through.”

     Rich dropped Shane off the same place Sheera had. “Thanks for the ride. Really appreciate it.”

     “Like I said. If you’re up, it’s no problem. I work down the road.”

     “Bye Uncle.”

     “Say hello to Tony for me.” Rich chuckled. “And tell him my shotgun’s kind of rusty. It’ll need to be cleaned before being used.”

     Shane laughed. “That was mean what you did.”

     Rich grinned and waved as Shane shut the door. Shane was still laughing when he reached the track. He was happy to see the track was empty as he stopped at the fence to look it over. He dropped his bags and took his windbreaker off. It was probably empty because the sun was only rising now and it was still dark. The track was well lit though and it was cool outside. Shane thought it was the perfect running temp.

     He took it slow the first lap. It gave him a chance to feel the track again, to feel the way the soles of his shoes connected with the ground. He hadn’t been lying to the coach. The track really did feel good. He was nearly done with his morning run when he caught sight of someone watching him from the other side of the track.

     His first thought was Tony. If it could be anyone, he wished it were Tony. He was already desperate to see him again. It was a little frightening. To feel that way about someone. Especially since they hadn’t known each other long. But Shane wasn’t one to disregard any of his feelings, and he had a feeling this thing with Tony was big; it was something special and he was excited to see where it might lead. After realizing Tony liked him, Shane had regained his confidence in spades and it was a good thing too because he sensed Tony liked that confidence.

     Unfortunately the figure that stood at the side and waited for him to come around ended up being Coach Thompson. By the time he reached the coach, he’d slowed to a walk. “Morning, Coach.”

     “Morning!”

     Shane grinned. Seemed he wasn’t the only morning person around. Jerry stepped onto the track and walked alongside the freshman. “Should I expect to see you out here every morning?”

     “Yep.”

     “That’s good. How long have you been here?”

     Shane checked his watch. “About an hour. I’m done now though.”

     “I’ve checked your class schedule,” Jerry said before Shane took off for the showers. “I want you in the training rooms every day after your last classes.”

     “Alright.”

     “Starting today.”

     “O-” Shane cut off.

     Noticing the boy’s hesitation, Jerry raised an eyebrow. “Is there something more important you need to do?”

    “Well I… I’m supposed to meet Tony. He was going to show me the labs.”

     Jerry crossed his arms and stared flatly. “Are you dedicated to this team or not?”

     “Yes, sir.”

     “Then be in training room four no later than fifteen minutes after your last class. Off to the showers now.”

     Shane sighed. “Yes, sir.”

 

* * *

 

Shane pouted all during his shower and all the way to his first class, which happened to be American History. However after sitting in class for ten minutes, he didn’t have time to worry over missing time with Tony in the labs. There was so much the Professor was saying. All he could do was sit there, and like his classmates, stare at the professor in horror as he went over his expectations and outline the class for the year’s assignments. Tony and the labs were momentarily pushed out of his mind by the daunting amount of work expected from them in this class.

     “Did you catch all he said?” the boy who’d been sitting next to him asked at the end of class. The guy was tall, lanky, and had a head full of curly black hair.

     “Nothing after the first thirty minutes,” he replied as they left the room. “Is he crazy?”

     “My brother had him two years ago. Said he was a tyrant. Didn’t believe him then but I do now. Name’s Connor by the way,” the boy said, extending a hand.

     Shane shook his hand. “Shane.”

     “Yeah, I just figured since I plan to go through with this nightmare, that’d I’d need plenty of help, you know.”

     “Sure. Having a study partner would help out a lot.” Shane grinned back. “I’m kind of new here in the city, so I don’t know too many people.”

     They’d been walking down the hall and were leaving the Social Studies building and into a large courtyard that connected many of the buildings on campus. The courtyard teemed with students all running about to their next classes.

     “Hey you seem cool. We should hang.” Connor turned when someone called his name. “Hold up a minute.”

     Shane nodded and watched Connor trot off to a girl who was waving at him. The track star glanced at his watch. Next class started in ten minutes so he figured he could wait around a moment. His next class was in the building just across the courtyard, and as Red had showed him around after the tryout, he knew exactly where to go.

     “Hey,” Connor came back with his arm around the girl’s shoulders. “This is my girl, Mimi. Mimi, this is Shane. We’re gonna help each other get through Prof A-hole’s class.”

     “Hi.” Shane shook the girl’s hand.

     “Nice meeting you. And good luck with that,” Mimi replied with a snort. “That man purposely tries to fail each and every one of his students. Just ask my cousin.”     

     Shane groaned. He really had a bad feeling about that class.

     “So where’s your next class?” Connor asked him.

     “Advanced Algebra.”

     “Me too. Wonder if we have the same class?”

     Mimi took her bag back from her boyfriend. “Call me after your classes end.”

     “Sure thing, babe.”

     They quickly walked across the courtyard and Shane was so preoccupied with scanning the crowds for Tony he nearly didn’t hear when Connor spoke to him again.

     “Got a girlfriend, Shane? Know you said you were new here but with your looks I figure you’ve got to have drawn attention already…” Connor drifted off with a grin and shrugged.

     There was only the briefest of hesitation. “I’m gay.”

     Connor stumbled. “Whoa, man! You just threw that out there.”

     Shane stopped to face him. “Beating around the bush seems stupid, especially when I don’t plan to hide it. I figure getting it out of the way now would be best in case you don’t feel comfortable with it, you know.”

     “I’m not exactly uncomfortable with it… I mean, I just met you, so I can’t really care. Actually I think it’s cool you’re not ashamed of it when there are so many people who are.”

     Shane shrugged. “It may be more like they’re afraid of others reactions. People… aren’t very accepting.”

     Connor studied him a moment. Reading into that. And then he nodded. “Well, hey. I’m not going to turn my back on you because you’re gay. You seem like a nice guy. That’s all that should matter, right?”

     “Thanks man.”

     “Yes, and besides,” came a new voice from behind, “I’d have to hurt you if you kicked Shane aside just because of his preference.”

     Shane spun around with a wide grin on his face. “Damien!”

     “Hey, cutie.” Damien threw an arm around Shane’s neck and tugged him close. “I’ve been eagerly anticipating our next meeting. Tony told me all about Rich and his shotgun last night.”

     “Is he with you?” Shane forgot all about Damien and Connor and started looking around eagerly.

     Damien snorted and turned to Connor. “Who are you?”

     “Connor.” His brown eyes went back and forth between Shane and Damien and the arm still wrapped around Shane’s neck. “We met last class.”

     Damien’s nose stuck in the air in superiority. “I’m Damien Shrod.” He stuck his hand out and with his eyes dared Connor not to shake it.

     “Shrod? As in Shrod Corporations?” Connor asked and shook his hand.

     “That’s me.” Damien turned back to Shane. “He’s not on this side of campus, Shane. You guys going in here?” he pointed to the math building. Both nodded. “Great! Me too.”

     It turned out Shane and Connor were in same class again. Shane was actually relieved. It felt better to know at least one person in class.

     “You go in. I want to talk to Damien for a minute.”

     “I’ll save you a seat,” Connor said before disappearing inside.

     Damien smiled brightly. “Making new friends already. I’m so proud.”

     “Yeah, whatever.” Shane rolled his eyes when Damien poked him in the stomach. “Listen. Coach Thompson changed the schedule so I have practice directly after classes end… I can’t meet for lunch and I can’t meet Tony either. Do you think he’ll get mad?”

     “He’ll be more disappointed he won’t get to see you. He was excited about showing you the lab,” Damien replied seriously. “But if you call and explain the situation, he’ll get over it.”

       “We haven’t gotten around to exchanging numbers yet,” Shane murmured.

       Damien looked scandalized. “You’ve got to be kidding me?! Tony, Tony, Tony… Where the hell is your head, hun?” he murmured as he pulled out his cell. “Oh, yeah…” he gave Shane an obvious look over, “that’s where his head’s been.”

     Shane blushed and looked away, “shut up, cherry top.”

     “Maroon!” Damien waved that away. “Anyway. Go into class. I’ll text you his number.”

     “Thanks.”

     “No prob, cutie. I’ll call you later as well.”

     “K.”

     Shane went in and took the seat next to Connor, happy that it wasn’t at the front of the room.

     “Are you dating Damien Shrod?” was the first thing out of Connor’s mouth.

     “Nah. He’s a friend.” A really good friend, Shane thought as he turned his cell down to vibrate. “And he and my cousin have been best friends for like forever.”

     “Friends in high places, huh? Sweet!”

 

* * *

 

After his last class Shane pulled out his cell and stared at it as he made his way to the athletic buildings. He was freaking out. Getting nervous over a phone call. He knew what he had to say; he just didn’t want to say it.

     The matter was taken out of his hands when the cell started vibrating in his hands. His eyes widened when he realized it was Tony calling.

     He pressed talk and put the cell to his ear, “um… hello?”

     The low replying chuckle sent shivers down his spine. _“You sound embarrassed again.”_

       Shane veered off the path to go stand against a nearby tree. “Whatever, asshole. How’d you get my number?”

     _“Realized I forgot to get it from you and called Sheera for it. Do you mind?”_

     “No. Damien gave me yours.”

     _“You coming or what?”_

     Shane closed his eyes and slid down to the ground. “I can’t. Coach Thompson demanded my presence today and every day after classes. I’m- I’m really sorry and I-” _I really wanted to see you._ Shane gripped the phone hard. He couldn’t say it. Especially since he didn’t know how much Tony wanted to see him. Probably not as much as he wanted… where the fuck did his confidence go?

     _“Hey, it’s fine. I know how Jerry can be. Don’t worry about it.”_

     Shane nodded even though Tony couldn’t see it. “Yeah, alright.” He felt more dejected now after Tony’s response. It didn’t seem like he cared one way or the other.

     Shane heard someone call Tony’s name in the background, and then Tony cursed. _“Listen, Shane. I have to go. Problems here. I’ll call you later. Promise.”_ Tony hung up before Shane could reply.

     “Fuck!” his head dropped down to his knees. Okay, either Tony was just pissed that their plans had been ruined, or he really didn’t care. Shane wanted to believe it was the first. He wanted to be positive about this. He needed to be positive. Guess the only thing he could do was wait and see if Tony called back later like he said he would.

 

* * *

 

Tony did end up calling, but it was really late and they only talked for a few minutes before the Tony said he had to go to bed. Shane was relieved after the call but his disappointment continued to grow. It seemed fate was having fun trying to keep them apart. The next few days passed without them being together, and as Tony was always working, they couldn’t talk much on the phone either. Plans were never made, Tony hadn’t asked him out again, and Shane was beginning to despair that Tony would realize he wasn’t worth it.

     “You need to stop looking so depressed,” Damien said as they walked along a downtown sidewalk in the shopping district later in the week. Shane tried to act as if he were used to walking around a neighborhood made of diamonds.

     “But… I’m just thinking. He’s really busy, you know. I don’t want to bother him.”

     Damien replied by knocking him upside the head. “Idiot. People get busy sometimes. And not to sound mean but us upperclassmen have it harder than you lower classmen. Tony works his ass off. Both academically and his job.”

     “You’re right.” Shane rubbed his head. “I’m being ridiculous.”

     “And at least you get calls!” Damien said looking affronted. “I haven’t talked to _my_ best friend all week!”

     “Really?” Shane tried and failed to keep a smile off his face.

     “Really. And stop looking so smug. In fact none of us have. You’re the only one he makes time for. Tony likes you a lot, Shane. So quit thinking he doesn’t.”

     “Sorry. I guess I have too much free time on my hands. I was thinking about getting a job.”

     “Yeah? What kind of job do you want?” Damien tugged on his sleeve, indicating he wanted to enter the clothing shop they came up on.

     “Not sure. Anything’s good I guess.” Shane looked up at the sign of the store as they passed through the door. Strathom’s? “Isn’t this Sheera’s store?”

     “Yes. And don’t you dare say anything’s good! You will not lower yourself to working at some fast food place.”

     “There’s nothing wrong with working at a fast food joint, Damien.”

     Damien snorted. “As I said, it’s beneath you.”

     “You are such a snob,” Shane replied with a laugh.

     “Thank you! Now if you want, I can find you something really good in one of our local companies.”

     “No. That’s okay. Appreciate it but I’d rather find something on my own.”

     “Figured you’d say that but the offer always stands, alright Shane?”

     “Thanks.” Shane looked around the place with wide eyes and immediately wondered why they were in there. Sheera wasn’t working today and, “these clothes look like they’ve been designed and sown by the blind.”

     “That’s funny.” Damien sent him a grin. “Tony said something like that the first time he came in here.”

     “Why are we in here?”

     “The female clothes leave something to be desired, but the male clothing lines are always exceptional.”

     For the next hour, Shane had to stand against the wall and watch Damien go through the new clothing line Sheera said the store received. He had to wait in the dressing room while Damien tried on loads of clothes, coming out of his dressing room after trying on each and every piece, asking Shane his opinion on everything.

     Just after Damien retreated back into the room, with a promise only a few more items needed to be tried on, Shane let his head fall back against the wall with a bang. “This is lame, Damien.”

     “Ingrate!”

     “Something I can help you with?”

     Shane looked over to find a man standing at the door, peering at Shane suspiciously with his arms crossed over his chest. The man had blond hair and blue eyes. He must have been in his early thirties; he was tall- but everyone seemed to be taller than him- and the guy obviously kept himself in top form. The guy was attractive, Shane would admit, but he still didn’t like the stink-eye he was receiving.

     “No, I’m cool. Just waiting on a friend.”

     “Maybe you’d like to wait out front since you’re not trying anything on.”

     Shane pushed away from the wall and narrowed his eyes. “No, I don’t think so. Like I said, I’m waiting on a friend.”

     Damien poked his head out his dressing room. “Strathom, he’s cool. Shane’s letting me model for him.”

     Shane’s eyes narrowed further. “Strathom?” as in Sheera’s dick head boss? The owner of the store?

     “That’s right.”

     Damien disappeared back into his little cubicle, but kept the door slightly ajar. “Jake, this is Sheera’s cousin. Shane.”

     The track star turned back to Damien’s dressing room. “Do you know everyone on the planet?”

     “Yes. I’m a superstar, sweetie. Haven’t you figured that out yet?”

     By then Jake had relaxed his stance and the suspicious look in his blue eyes disappeared. “I thought you looked familiar. You and Sheera resemble each other. Facial structure is almost the same.”

     “Gee thanks. It’s every guy’s dream to be told you look like your bitchy female cousin.”        

     Jake flashed him an easy grin and leaned against the doorway. “No offense intended, of course. And nice to finally meet you.”

     “Sure, now that you know I’m not shoplifting.”

     Jake chuckled, “yes, you must be related to Sheera.”

     Damien popped out of his dressing room. “Ta da!”

     “You look fantastic, as usual. Why do you even bother to try on the clothes? You know you’re going to buy them anyway.”

     Damien gave Shane a pitying look. “Trying the clothes on is half the fun.”

     “Whatever.”

     Shane glanced at Strathom again, wondering why the guy was still standing there. And that smile on his face was confusing him. Sheera was always complaining about Strathom; always remarking about how rude he was, how much of an asshole he was. But that smile was open and friendly. Shane didn’t think he was a particularly naive person, and he believed that smile was not a false one. But it could be that Strathom was only a dick to his employees. Which made him an asshole. And not the Tony kind of asshole.

     “Whoa there,” Jake said, his southern accent ringing loud and clear as he raised his hands. “That’s one hell of a glare you have. Mind telling me what I’ve done.”

     “Do you always treat your employees like trash or is it just Sheera?”

     Jake seemed to tense up a bit and turned away. He gave Shane a look from the corner of his eye as he left the dressing room. “Yeah, just like her.”

     “What the fuck is up with him?” Shane demanded when Strathom was gone. “Going around smiling like that…” he turned back to Damien, who looked thoroughly amused. “You do know she’s been complaining-”

     “He’s a dick to her. Yeah I know.”

     “You’re her friend right. Shouldn’t you be a little less friendly to him?”

     “Maybe you should ask Sheera for specifics before you jump to conclusions about Jake. Has she ever told you specifically how he’s a dick to her?”

     “Not really.”

     “Ask her about it and then you can point fingers and cast judgment,” Damien said as he returned to the little room. “But honestly Jake’s a nice guy.”

     Finally, after what seemed like years, Damien was finished and Shane found himself once again facing Jake Strathom as the man personally rang up Damien’s purchases.

     “Once again you’ve filled my pockets, Damien.”

     “Yes, I know.” Damien batted his eyelashes. “Love me.”

     Jake chuckled. “Now I’ve told you before. I don’t swing that way.”

     “Doesn’t mean I’m going to stop trying.” Damien glanced at the woman beside Jake. She was packing the clothes away. “Vivi, do you mind putting that, that, that, that, oh and that in a separate bag?” he asked after pointing to a few items of clothing.

     “Course not, Damien.”

     “Thanks, sweetie! You’re the best.”

     Shane remained quiet the entire time, trying his best to stop thinking evil thoughts about the owner and trying to ignore the ludicrous amount of money Damien had just given over with a bright smile. When they were outside Shane looked over his shoulder back at the store. “Can’t believe that guy owns a store like that and is straight!”

     “Yeah, me too. I was so depressed when I found out. He’s from the south too, so…” Damien sighed and passed one of the bags to Shane. “Here you go. It’s a Welcome to Allmsted present.”

     Shane looked down at the bag and gaped. “I can’t accept this! That stuff cost way too much!”

     “I said it was a present.”

     “But they-”

     “They’ll fit. Didn’t you notice some of the stuff was a bit tight and short?”

       “Well yeah, but I only thought it was another one of your quirks and that you liked tight fitting things…”

     Damien snorted. “Not that tight. I hope you weren’t blowing smoke up my ass when I asked your opinion on the clothes, because if you never wear this stuff and I find out its because you don’t like it, then I swear I’ll make you wear it every day!”

     “No! I wasn’t lying. I did like the styles… But I’m not sure how well I’ll look in them.”

     “Don’t you trust me? Do you honestly think I’d give you anything that would make you look less than spectacular? Get real, cutie!”

 

* * *

 

The next day, Shane was at home and he’d finished his homework about an hour before and was currently sitting on his bed tossing a soft red ball at the wall and catching it. He was completely bored. He promised earlier he would go find a job today but when he got home, he found he wasn’t in the right frame of mind.

     “Yeah?” he called out when someone knocked on his door. Figuring it was Sheera or one of her parents, Shane continued to bounce the ball off the wall and didn’t turn to see who came in.

     “You need to get more stuff for this room. What are you, a monk?”

     Shane twisted around and felt a smile split his face. Tony stood there looking at the meager personal touches with a frown. When he looked back at Shane his eyes softened. “I really hope you’re not a monk. Not cool for me.”

     “Not funny.”

     “Who’s laughing?”

     “Didn’t know you were coming over.” Shane squeezed the soft ball tightly when Tony finally smiled. He was so hot.    

     “Surprised?”

     “Um… yeah.” _And very, very pleased._ Shane stood and managed not to run his hand through his hair nervously. Was his hair sticking up? Did he have something in his teeth? Oh, God why was he so nervous?

     “Good.” Tony moved around the room until they were only inches apart. Shane tried not to inhale deeply. The man smelled freaking fantastic too.

     “I thought you were working.”

     “Took off early.” Tony took the red ball and started tossing it up in the air. “Have you eaten yet?”

     “No. I was thinking about it.”

     “Stop thinking. Let’s go.”

     Shane readily agreed and they took off. Tony took Shane to one of his favorite bistros. It was strange but Shane was ecstatic with the way they easily slid into conversation as if they’d known each other for years and hadn’t been separated for almost a week. But then when they were finished eating and there was a lull in conversation, Tony started to give him that really intense look. Shane cleared his throat and looked away. Now that there was silence between them and he was being studied so intensely, he felt there nothing to do but be nervous because now he was wondering what this was.

     “Spit it out,” Tony said, amused. “Why are you suddenly nervous?”

     “I’m not nervous.” Shane rolled his eyes when Tony snorted his disbelief. “I was wondering… Is this a date?”

     Tony chuckled; that low sound that drove him crazy. It made Shane want to shove the table aside and jump him. “Yes it is.”

     Shane licked his lips before leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest. “Never said I’d go out with you.”

     “Then you should never have gotten into the car.” Tony stood and fished out his wallet. “Let’s get out of here.” He pulled out some bills and tossed them on the table. Shane got up, trying very hard not to stumble, as now he felt incredibly light headed. He was on a date with Tony.

     “How’s your classes?”

     Shane shrugged. “Fine, I guess. What I expected… Except for one. The professor of my American History class has a majorly big stick stuck up his ass. The dude is crazy.”

     Tony’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You have Professor Davenport, don’t you? The Tyrant?”

     Shane groaned. “I knew those couldn’t just be rumors. Does he really go out of his way to try and fail his students?”

     “Yes, so you should be careful.”

     “Ah, man…”

     At once their cells went off with a text message.

     **HERE! NOW!**

Tony and Shane looked at each other. “Damien.”

 

* * *

“Don’t know how much more I can take. He’s… He’s so mean, Tony! He doesn’t get that I go to school and on top of that, continue to work on projects for my father. He doesn’t get anything! I want to kill him! I swear I almost shoved a pen into his neck today!”

     “Whoa…” Shane murmured. He would have thought Damien was kidding if it hadn’t been for the dead serious look in his eyes. Not to mention the worried looks he caught from Tony, Mai, Caleb, and Sheera. They were looking at each other as if they thought they should restrain their friend; as if he’d done something like that before.

     The house phone rang and Damien quickly excused himself to the kitchen. Shane scooted closer to Tony, not liking the murderous rage he was seeing in the brunet’s eyes. “Damien isn’t known for his patience,” Tony explained. “He’s got anger issues and someone’s purposely messing with him.”

     “NO!” everyone looked to find Damien staring at the phone in shock.

     Mai stood and started to approach the kitchen. “Damien?”

     Said man raised a finger to her and put the phone back to his ear. “Tell him to fuck off. I’m not accepting visitors right now…. I don’t care what he says. If my father really sent him then he’d have the code, wouldn’t he?”

     Damien slammed the phone down and then sank into a chair and buried his head in his hands. Shane left Tony’s side and went to sit at the table across from Damien and touched the shaking hand of his friend. “Hey.”

     Damien raised his head. “What?”

     “Try to calm down, alright. Try to do what Mai told you. Letting the anger take control will only stop you from realizing this guy isn’t worth the air you breathe.”

     “Those breathing techniques never work.”

     “Really? And how often have you tried it?” Shane leaned back and laced his hands behind his head. “You can’t expect it will automatically work if you try it for only a few seconds. Things like that do not obey your every whim.”

     “I’ve tried telling him that,” Mai called out. “But he insists it should work when he says.”

     “You really are a queen,” Shane said fondly.

     “He’s fucking here right now!” Damien seethed.

     “Who?”

     “The bastard I’ve been telling you about!”

     Tony stood up. “Great news.”

     “Don’t do anything reckless,” Sheera told him as he crossed the room.

     “Mother fucker should have stayed away,” Caleb interjected as he too stood to follow Tony. “He’s free game now.”

     “He’s gone,” Damien growled. “I sent him away. They won’t let him up without my permission and the only one with permission today is the delivery guy.” Just as he finished speaking the door was knocked upon. “That’s probably him now.”

     Seeing as Caleb and Tony looked fully prepared to go downstairs and find this jerk who had been bothering Damien, Shane shot out of his chair and blocked their way. “I’ll answer the door.”

       “Only going for a walk, man,” Caleb insisted. “It’s cool.”

       “No way. Don’t do something stupid. You think beating that guy up is going to help Damien?”

     Shane gave Tony a pleading look, making his blue eyes wide in worry.

     “Man. Can’t fight those eyes,” Caleb said. “Like stepping on a kitten’s tail or something.” He promptly turned and went back to the living room.

     “I’m only going to find that asshole and have a talk with him. Stop looking at me like that,” Tony demanded, fingers itching to dig into Shane’s hair.

     “Why?” Shane asked lowly, sliding a hand up Tony’s arm and pressing closer.

     “You’re not prepared for what it makes me want to do to you,” he stated bluntly.

     “Bet,” Shane whispered and nudged his hips forward to rub against Tony’s as the knocking on the door turned louder and more persistent.

     “Fuck!” He spun around and started to walk away. “Hurry up and answer the goddamn door. Then get your ass back in here! Preferably on my lap!”

     “Pervert!” Damien laughed from the kitchen while Mai could be heard giggling.

     Shane was smiling smugly when he opened the door. But the smile slipped when he realized the man opposite him dressed in business attire was definitely not a delivery person.

     One black eyebrow rose upon seeing him. Shane was then subjected to a full look over and something like anger passed in the stranger’s eyes. “Who are you?” the man asked coldly, immediately setting Shane on edge. The snobby British accent made him seem twice as arrogant.

     “You’re the one knocking on the door. Who are you?” Shane heard someone move up behind him but he kept his eyes pinned on the jerk in front of him.

     “Must be one of his toys,” the man muttered lowly, more to himself. He then sneered at Shane. “Go and fetch the owner for me like a good little…boy.”

     Shane sputtered. “What the… You can’t order me around! And who the hell are you calling a boy toy?”

    “If you refuse to get Shrod then I’ll go to him.” The man then tried to press by him into the apartment.

    “The hell you will!” Shane snapped and blocked the doorway with both arms. “You’re the jackass who called earlier aren’t you? Listen, buddy, it would be in your best interest to take off now. There are some people in here, including myself, who would love to see you six feet under. I suggest you take a hike!”

    The man started laughing; a cold sound that had Shane grinding his teeth. “Just as I expected. He would associate with common-”

     Shane slammed the door shut before he could hear anymore. Like he’d told Tony before, he wasn’t into fighting but that snobbish asshole was asking for it. Next time he wasn’t going to stop Tony and Caleb from going after him.

     When he turned away from the door, Shane was shocked to find Tony standing halfway down the hall. He was staring murder at the door, which was once again being pounded on.

     “Tony-”

     Tony seemed to come back to himself and he pushed Shane aside to fling the door open. Before the man could blink, Tony threw his fist, connecting a solid heavy punch to the guy’s jaw. Surprisingly the man didn’t hit the floor, only stumbled back and clutched his mouth while glaring back at him. He did look very dazed, which Tony was pleased to note.

     “You ever refer to my boyfriend as a toy again I’ll hit you so hard you won’t wake up for a week!” Tony started to shut the door and then seemed to change his mind. “Two more things… Stop harassing Damien and,” he threw another punch, this one harder and it connected just as the first had and with better results. “That’s for referring to us as common!” He smirked at the unconscious body at his feet and then returned to the apartment, slamming the door shut behind him.

     “Boyfriend?”

     Tony’s temper instantly cooled and he nodded, loving the blush spreading across Shane’s face. He grabbed the brat’s hand and pulled him into one of the guest rooms. “Wait here a minute.” Shane nodded numbly and sank down onto the bed while Tony went back outside.

     Tony found Damien in the same place Shane had left him at the kitchen table. “Listen. That guy is outside the door. I kind of knocked him out.”

     “Tony! Why would you do that?”

     “Not like he didn’t deserve it, Sheera,” Caleb murmured.

     “First of all, he referred to Shane as one of Damien’s toys. Secondly he referred to all of us as common somethings... he didn't get to finish that statement since Shane slammed the door in his face.”

     “Oh, in that case… Good job!”

    “Fuck,” Damien moaned and ran a hand through his hair. “We can’t leave him like that. Daddy would not appreciate me leaving him out there.”

     Mai looked up with a frown. “I’m usually the voice of reason around here, but this once I say fuck your father and fuck the man lying unconscious outside your door! He should go to hell!”

     “Mai!” Everyone stared at her in shock. She hardly ever spoke so violently. She only shrugged.

     “You do whatever you want with him, but I’m done now. Have more important things to do,” Tony said as he headed back to Shane.

     “Caleb,” he heard Damien say. “Help me drag him into my office.”

     “Can I rough him up a bit on the way?”

     “Sure,” Damien replied as they headed for the door.

     Tony went into the room and leaned against the door once it was shut. He raised his hand with a grimace to look at his knuckles. “Dude’s face is harder than it looks.”

     “Must have felt good though,” Shane said as he moved closer.

     “At the time, yeah. But now it’s starting to hurt.”

     “Normally I would say you deserve the pain,” the track star reached out to grasp Tony’s hand so he could study the damage, “but the guy was asking for it.”

     “There’s no point in pretending to want anything less than that. It can’t be anything less than that for me.”

     “Huh?”

     “An exclusive relationship. I don’t want anything less. If you have a problem with that tell me now.”

     Shane dropped Tony’s hand. “No, there’s no problem…” he trailed off and averted his eyes.

     “Ah, look. The brat’s embarrassed again.”

     “Shut up asshole. Not nice to point things like that out.”

     “Why?”

     “It- Sort of makes me look weak I guess. Least that’s how I feel.”

     “No, it makes you look irresistible. Makes me want to take a bite out of you.” Tony grabbed him around the waist and began to lead him back towards the bed. “And since we’re alone and won’t be interrupted this time, that’s exactly what I’m gonna do.”

     “Wha- hey! Tony!” Shane fell onto the bed, blue eyes going impossibly wide.

     Tony’s low laugh rang in Shane’s ears, filling him with a sweet ache. “Don’t worry. Just want a taste.”

     Shane melted under him and encircled his arms around Tony’s waist while the brunet’s lips moved skillfully over his, tongue urging his mouth open. Tony dove right in when entrance was allowed. He didn’t even pause to take a breath, and Shane trembled beneath him from the feel of their tongues sliding together, twisting around and instead of fading, the sweet ache turned into a roaring fire and he felt his world flip upside down.

     Shane’s eyes popped open in surprise when he felt this and startled green eyes were staring back at him. The same surprise shown in Tony’s eyes. Slowly Tony drew back a fraction.

     “Jesus…” he whispered. “What did you do?”

     “You did it to me!” Shane felt ruined. His whole world consisted of Tony now. There couldn’t be anyone else in the world who could make him feel the way he was feeling now. At this moment, he was absolutely sure of that.

     A smug look of possessiveness crossed Tony’s face. “Good,” he replied before capturing Shane in another body trembling kiss.

 


	6. Episode Six

Damien stood beside his desk staring at the unconscious figure lying on his couch with wide eyes. He wrapped one arm around his waist and started to bite his thumbnail in tense habit. Tense in that he was fucking pissed. How dare this ingrate come to his home! How dare Jared Newton encroach on his personal living space! Not only that, but the bastard had immediately began his insults by slighting Shane.

     “You have one minute to explain your presence here before I call security,” he said the moment Newton’s eyes opened a few minutes later.

     Damien picked up the ice pack lying on the table and threw it at the bastard’s face. Unfortunately Newton caught it before it could pelt his eye. He stared at the ice pack as if it were an alien and then gave Damien an odd searching look as he placed it over his right temple, wincing slightly from the cold contact.

     “Like I told the man below at the desk,” Newton sat up slowly and took in Damien’s appearance, noting the black pajama bottoms and plain white t-shirt with a handsome quirk of his eyebrow, “your father sent me here with work. Or did you forget about the project we’re working on?”

     “Since it’s a multimillion dollar deal… no, bastard! I haven’t forgotten about it. Besides that, it could have waited till tomorrow. You are the last person I ever wanted in my house.”

     “That’s too bad, isn’t it? I’m here now.”

     “And now you can leave. Wouldn’t want to catch my homo germs would you, Newton? That would just be awful for you.”

     “I take it you always have _friends_ over…” Newton went on without recognizing Damien’s sarcasm, though his eye did twitch.

     “Not any of your business. Get.The.Fuck.Out.”

     “One moment.” Newton looked around and spotted his briefcase on the floor beside him. He carried it to the desk and unceremoniously dropped it on top of whatever was there.

     “Hey!” Damien rushed over and pushed it off his new design. “Do you mind?”

     Peeked, Newton bent over to look at the design before Damien could pull it away and roll it up. “Architecture?” he inquired as Damien hugged it to his chest like a baby for a moment before rushing away to store it with other canisters that no doubt held other designs.

     “Not that it’s any of your business… It’s a hobby.” More than that actually, but Newton didn’t deserve to know that. The less the bastard knew about his life the better. “Leave whatever it is you came to give me and then get out. I think it’s quite enough that I have to deal with you at work. I won’t check my temper here. And I’ll be happy to give you back to Tony, whose boyfriend you so eloquently insulted earlier. How’s the head, by the way? Hope it hurts like hell.”

     Newton turned away and laid the briefcase on the couch before pulling out several folders.

     Damien masked his surprise. Newton generally wasn’t this quiet when associating with him. Where were all the snide comments? Surely Newton wasn’t going to stand there and say nothing about being punched out by one of his ‘common’ friends. Then again, Newton had the ability to say quite a lot without actually opening his mouth, something that always rubbed Damien the wrong way. The disdain was always easy to read in his gray eyes.

     Damien was brought back when Newton snapped his fingers in front of his face to regain his attention. “These reports need to be read by Friday. On Monday we will meet and go over the new agreements.”

     “Yes, yes… I already know about this!” Damien snatched the folders out of his hands, tossed them onto his desk and walked to the door. “Now get out.” He opened the door and waved his hand in an obvious get the fuck out gesture. Newton took his time rearranging his stuff in the briefcase before snapping it shut and moving towards the door.

     Mai and Caleb were spread out on the living room rug, each with textbooks open in front of them while Sheera was in the kitchen sitting at the table, also with a schoolbook opened in front of her. This scene wasn’t something new. He and his friends always got together to do homework when school was in session.

     Damien caught the surprised look in Newton’s eyes when he took in the scene. “Not quite the orgy you imagined it would be, huh? Okay, keep moving. You’re tainting the air we breathe.”

       Caleb sat up the moment he saw Damien come out with Newton. But Damien shook his head and Caleb remained where he was, though he continued to follow Newton around with narrowed eyes. Mai ignored Damien’s warning, jumped to her feet and blocked Newton’s path. Immediately she started spitting out curses in Japanese at the man, speaking so fast Damien couldn’t pick up a word. He was fluent in Japanese, but she was talking too fast even for him. And Newton was just watching her with an eyebrow raised.

     Caleb snorted and finally pulled Mai back down beside him when she had to pause to take a breath. “Easy baby.”

     Damien caught sight of Sheera inching her way over and he quickly stepped in front of Newton and raised his hands. “No need to go there as well, She.”

     “Like hell! Move out of the way, sweetie!”

     “Retract your claws and back away, hun. It’s not going to happen.” 

     “But Damien,” she whined. “He deserves a beating! Why are you protecting him?”

     A furious look crossed his face. “Because I don’t want blood on my carpet, Sheera! And I don’t want him here any longer!”

     “You lot are crazy,” Newton finally said. Damien glanced over his shoulder at him. His voice was all wrong. It’d changed, warmed… he almost sounded amused.

     “It’s not crazy to want to protect our friend!” Mai shouted. “I hope he does tear your throat out one day… or better yet, YOUR ASS!”

     Damien spun around in horror. “MAI!”

     “What? He deserves it.” She turned back to Newton. “ _Baka_!”

     Damien groaned when Shane and Tony appeared and blocked the hall, both looking deliciously rumpled and happy… until they caught sight of Newton watching Mai in astonishment.

     “He’s leaving. Not one word,” Damien growled at them. Shane and Tony separated and eyed Newton as he passed them into the hall. As he passed Tony, Newton shoved the ice pack against the young man’s chest and continued to the door without a word.

     “I feel cheated,” Tony said when the door was closed firmly behind the British man.

     “Cheated?”

     Tony looked at Shane. “Yeah. The guy just walked past me, didn’t say a thing. Don’t know about you, but if I was faced with someone who threw me unconscious, I’m not going to stay quiet about it.”

     “He’s real cold,” Damien murmured as he crossed the living room to his bedroom. “Knows how to psych you out without saying a word. A real cold bastard.”

     “Where are you going?” Tony asked.

     “I’ve got some work to do. You guys hang, leave, whatever…”

     “Damien…” Sheera was very worried.

     “I’m fine.” He responded before shutting the door.

     Shane didn’t think he was fine, and he wasn’t about to let his new friend waste away in depression over a jerk like that. Even if Damien didn’t want company at the moment, he was going to fucking get it.

     “Shane, don’t!” Sheera hissed as he made his way to the bedroom. “He’ll bite your head off.”

     “Fuck that! He helped me so I’m going to help him!” Shane opened the door, went in and shut it behind him.

     Caleb looked intrigued. “How’d Damien help him?”

   Tony sank down on the sofa and grinned.

     A full throated laugh escaped the black guy. “Ah, so it’s like that now. No more four month drought for you.”

     “That’s not what happened so fuck off with the speculations.”

* * *

 

Shane quietly shut the door behind him and crossed over to the sofa. “That guy’s an ass. Sucks you have to work with him.”

     Damien glanced over his shoulder when the door shut. “Did I invite you in here?”

     “No, but it doesn’t matter. I’m not leaving until you talk to me.”

     “I’m not in the mood to talk.”

     “I was wondering why everyone keeps looking like they expect you to turn into Freddy Krueger.”

     Damien snorted. “Freddy Krueger? Are you serious, hun?”

     “They seemed really nervous…” Shane shrugged.

     Damien shook his head as he left his desk to join Shane on the couch, crossing his legs underneath him. “You’re one pushy kid. No wonder Tony calls you brat.”

     “But he likes me,” Shane replied with a confident air.

     “I told you that, didn’t I?”

     “Yeah,” Shane sighed happily.

     Damien smiled a little wistfully. “So you want to know about me, huh?” Shane nodded. “They get worried because during my junior year of high school I was put in a psych hospital.”

     “What?!”

     “Yeah. It was either that or get sent to juvie and my father wasn’t having that. So I was sent to the loony bin for a couple of months.”

     “But… But why?”

     “Because…” Damien rolled his eyes here. “I stabbed a guy with a fork one day and then picked up a chair and proceeded to beat him unconscious. I fully intended to kill him with that chair and I would have too if Tony and Caleb hadn’t stopped me. They can be such wet blankets sometimes... Anyway, after that I was suspended indefinitely from school. The guy’s family pressed charges, and to appease them and the court, Daddy had me sent to the psych hospital for an undisclosed amount of time.”

     “That’s… freaking crazy, Damien.”

     Damien laughed at the absolute horror covering his friend’s face. “There were other incidents before that when I lost my temper so bad that I caused harm. But Daddy helped me out of getting into trouble. I went along with the punishment the last time because I realized eventually I would end up in prison. And prison wasn’t where I wanted to end up. I want to end up where my father is, at the head of Shrod.

     “Since then,” Damien went on in a casual tone that didn’t seem to fit with the current topic of conversation, “I’ve taken anger management classes, still have weekly therapy sessions… Most people think I’m healed.”

     Shane shifted uncomfortably. “But you’re not.”

     The guy laughed. “Tony and the others know how to control me when it’s necessary and I can control myself better, when I want. I don’t do things out in the open anymore. And… I have a few guys who do whatever I tell them for a small fee.”

     “You really are scary.”

     Damien flashed him a grin. “Thanks.” Seeing the look on Shane’s face, Damien touched his arm. “Hey, cutie… you don’t have to worry that I’ll turn on you, even if I get mad for whatever reason. Ask Tony. I really like you, Shane, and that means a lot. Got it?”

     “Yeah.”

     “It also means a lot that you came in here to talk to me, probably expecting to get your ass kicked for doing it.”

     “I don’t want you to feel down because of that jerk.”

     Damien waved that away. “I feel better for talking to you.”

     “Yeah, well… Thanks. You know, for telling me all that stuff. You didn’t have to.” It meant a lot. Told him how much Damien trusted him. “I swear I won’t ever betray your trust.”

     “I already knew that. Why do you think we’re such good friends already?” Damien laughed delightedly, “and you are so cute! I couldn’t resist.”

     “Whatever.”

     “So tell me what you two did in the room. I want to know everything!”

     “No way! That’s private…” Shane cursed his face for flushing.

     One maroon eyebrow shot up. “That was fast. Didn’t think you two would go that far so soon.”

     “We didn’t have sex,” Shane mumbled.

     Damien looked upset by this declaration. “And why not?”

     “Because, we kind of surprised each other, and then…” Shane trailed off and bore a hole into the carpet.

    “Do go on. That shade of red on your face is fetching.”

     “No.... This is embarrassing!”

     “Please tell me something! It’ll make me feel better…”

     “We kissed, alright. That’s all.”

     “You mean to tell me Tony came out of that room looking that happy and all you did was kiss? There’s no way that’s possible. For him to look that content you had to have at least blown him.”

     “Must you be so perverted all the time? Never mind, don’t answer that.”

     “So you just made out, that’s all?” Damien asked in disappointment.

     Shane ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, just kissed. And this line of conversation is over.”

     “Fine. I’ll give just this once.” Damien stood and stretched. “Now get out, hun. I really do have some work to do.”

 

* * *

 

Shane walked into the training room the next day and wondered where everyone was. Usually the entire team was there when he had to lift weights. But today only a couple of people were around, and none he recognized.

     The track star shrugged it off and went to do the usual bench presses. At one point he saw Red pass the doorway and quickly called out to him.

     “Shane! What are you doing? Don’t you get enough workout throughout the week?”

     Shane dropped the weights. “What are you talking about?”

     “Didn’t anyone tell you? Fridays are free until season starts. You don’t have to come on Fridays.”

     “Nobody fucking told me that!”

     Shane didn’t waste any more time complaining about it though. If he was free now, he could probably make it to the labs before Tony had to go to work. Since they didn’t get to see each other yesterday, Shane hoped his boyfriend wasn’t too busy otherwise he’d have to wait until later that night.

     “Hey, what’s the quickest way to the labs?”

     “I’ll show ya. Want to talk to Tony anyway.”

     “How’d you know I was going to see him?” Shane hadn’t told anyone he and Tony were dating because he wasn’t sure if Tony wanted it out in the open. They hadn’t actually gotten to talk about that yet.

     “He’s your boyfriend, right? Why else would you go there?”

     “How did you know that?”

     “Tony told me. We’re friends you know. We share some of the same classes and we’re both in one of the sports programs so we talk a lot. Well, I talk and he usually listens. He doesn’t talk much if there isn’t something important to say. Anyway, yesterday the guy was full of energy and I asked if he’d gotten laid.” Red laughed remembering how that had annoyed Tony. “But that got him started and all he could talk about was you. So I straight out asked him what was going on with him and my new freshman teammate and he told me.”

     Shane practically bounced on his toes the whole way there he was so pleased. Guess Tony didn’t care if people knew, which was a relief. Shane didn’t want to hide it. Red caught the sappy grin on his face and smiled in humor.

     When they got to the labs, Red walked right in while Shane lingered outside. He thought they should text Tony first to see if it was all right to barge in but Red simply laughed and went in. Moments later the class began to leave. Apparently it was over. Tony was one of the first to come out and he dragged Shane close to kiss him senseless, right there in front of everyone.

     “Tony,” he hissed, jerking back with a fierce blush.

     “What?” Tony asked innocently. “I didn’t get to see you yesterday. I was having withdrawal.” Shane ducked his head and Tony touched his cheek. “That’s what I love to see…” he whispered against Shane’s ear. “ I love to see your reactions.”

     “What? So I’m like your entertainment now?”

     “Nah. You just-”

     Another man in a white lab coat stepped out and handed Tony a set of keys. “Tony, I’ll leave you to clean up then. Be sure to lock the door behind you.”

     “Sure, Dr. Borzich.”

     “And don’t let Mr. Jackson break anything this time,” Dr. Borzich said in exasperation as he gave a grinning Red the eye.

     As soon as Dr. Borzich rounded the corner, Shane ran into the empty lab. “Sweet! You have digital microscopes!”

     “It’s just a science lab. Geez,” Red said as Tony came to stand beside him.

     Shane pulled his eyes away from a top of the line microscope and glared. “I’m going to pretend I never heard you say that.”

     Tony chuckled and watched Shane reach out to touch, and then quickly pull his hands away. “You can touch it, Shane.” He turned to Red. “What’s up?”

     “Wondering if I could get a ride to the Sage tonight. Just need a ride there. I can find a ride home.”

     “Yeah, not a problem.” Tony’s eyes trailed back to his boyfriend and there they stayed. Sheera was right. The brat was like a kid in a candy store. “Was there anything else, Red?”

     “Nah.” Red grinned as he pushed himself away from the worktable they’d been leaning against. “Need to head to work anyway. And besides, I can see when I’m not wanted.” He laughed as he headed for the door. “Later, nerd!” he called to Shane, who in turn flicked him off without taking his eyes off one of the samples still under the microscope.

     Tony discarded his lab coat and started picking up various samples and slides and putting them away, leaving only the ones Shane was currently enraptured with. The brat was mumbling to himself, clearly impressed with the equipment. Tony came up behind him and put both hands on the table to cage his boyfriend in. Shane didn’t notice until Tony pressed against his back.

     “What’ll you give me for letting you touch the equipment?” he whispered lowly into the track star’s ear.

     Shane gasped when an arm encircled his waist and pulled him off the stool to press his ass against the bulge in Tony’s pants. “You can have whatever you want!”

     “Does that include you?” he asked as his hand traveled down to stroke the evidence of Shane’s own excitement.

     “Y-yeah…” he felt Tony’s mouth against his neck, a hot tongue sliding over his skin while the brunet slid his hand under his pants. “W-wait!” Shane panted. “You- you didn’t lock t- the door!” And though he wanted Tony to leave and lock the door, he couldn’t help but push his ass back against Tony with a moan.

     Tony’s eyes snapped to the door. Fuck, he hadn’t locked it. He reluctantly released Shane and backed away, prepared to go lock the damn door, when it was suddenly opened.

     “Tony?” a sweet voice called out.

     Shane narrowed his eyes when a woman stuck her head inside. “Tony! There you are! I was afraid I’d missed you.”

     Shane missed the annoyed hiss that passed his boyfriend’s lips as he approached the door. He missed it and therefore this girl’s presence immediately put the track star on edge.

     “I’m kind of busy right now, Kate,” Tony said as he approached the door and blocked the girl from coming in.

   “Huh? Really?” Kate poked her big nose around Tony’s arm to look in the room.

     Shane’s phone started to ring and he turned away from the door as he put the cell to his ear, but not before he caught the girl’s frown when she saw him. He half listened to the caller, but mostly kept his ears and eyes on the conversation at the door. “But Tony, you promised to go over this weeks notes with me if I needed help. And I need help.”

     “Hello?” Shane quietly answered the call as his hand squeezed his cell. She was batting her fucking eyelashes at him now!

     _“Hey cutie. You done with practice yet?”_

“Turns out there are no practices on Friday.”

     “Can’t do it right now, Kate.”

     Kate, the bitch, touched Tony’s arm and did not let go. “Oh come on. You don’t look too busy now.”

     _Shrug her off. Shrug her off. Shrug the bitch off! He’s not shrugging her off! What the fuck?!_

_“SHANE, ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?!”_

“Sorry. What were you saying?”

     _“Where are you? I want to pick you up so we can get ready to go out tonight.”_

Shane rolled his eyes and shouldered his bag. “I’m not a fucking girl, Damien. Geez.”

     He was really annoyed now. Jealously was something he hardly ever felt. And never at this extreme level. Never to the point of wanting to maim another human being. But this bitch… and Tony seemed content to stand there and talk to her.

     _“Oh, come on, hun. I promise it will be fun! And I promise not to dress you up or anything either. We can hang out for a bit. That’s all. Please… Don’t make me beg, Shane!”_

     Fine then. If he had to be jealous, then so the hell could Tony. “Yeah, okay. Come pick me up at school. I’ll meet you outside of the labs.”

     _“Great! I’ll meet you in a few.”_

Shane walked to the door and pushed past Tony and Kate. “Gotta run,” he said flatly. “Damien’s picking me up now. Seems you have some free time after all, Tony.”

     “Wha- Damien’s picking you up?” Tony’s eyes narrowed on his boyfriend as he walked out of the room and started down the hall.

     “He’s also bringing me to the Sage tonight. You don’t have to worry about that either.” And he kept on walking.

     “Shane! Hold up!”

     Looking over his shoulder, he saw Tony try to go after him, but that bitch was persistent and she blocked his path by asking more questions and batting her fucking eyelashes. Shane snorted. He may be jealous, but he wasn’t stupid. The jealously was only natural and he knew the best thing to do was to get away before it made him do something stupid and unnecessary.

 

* * *

 

     “Wait, hun. Let me get this straight… You’re telling me you just walked away and left him with the she beast?”

     Damien and Shane had taken a detour to Shane’s place so he could pick up the things he needed as Damien insisted they hang at his penthouse until it was time to go to the Sage Haze. So now Damien was sitting on Shane’s bed watching the agitated track star pack stuff away in his bag. Damien had waited until they got to his room before demanding to know what was on Shane’s mind.

     “Well yeah. I wasn’t going to stick around and be made to feel like that.”

     “But Shane…”  
     “I know I have nothing to worry about. That’s why I left.”

     “What, just like that?”

     “No.” Shane stopped his agitated wandering around the room and fixed Damien with a grin. “First I told him you were picking me up and would be taking me to the club, and then I left. And since then I’ve ignored every call and text he’s sent me. Of which there have been many.”

     Damien jumped off the bed and pinned Shane with wide eyes. “You manipulative little bastard! You’re making him jealous on purpose!”

     Shane smirked.

     “Oh my God! Oh- just… Wow!” Damien yelled out like a little girl and threw his arms around Shane. “I’m so proud! I never saw this coming. You are so not predictable. I was wondering.... But holy shit! This is great!”

     Shane grinned as he picked up his bag and they headed for the door. Damien continued to bubble over with joy and threw his arm around Shane’s shoulders.

     “You, my friend, have just guaranteed that my weekend, regardless of a certain bastard’s opinions, will be a happy one!”

 

* * *

 

The Sage Haze was bumping that night. It usually was. But tonight was sort of special. Every year when school started again, the Sage Haze would host a student party and anyone with an Allmsted student ID could get in for free and every drink was half price. Which meant the club was packed, as it was a favorite hotspot for the university crowd. Most everyone there was in a shit faced happy mood.

     Except for Tony. Tony was currently glaring down at the VIP table, wondering where the fuck Shane was and why wasn’t the brat answering his calls. And what the fuck did he need to spend so much time with Damien for? Tony wouldn’t mind it so much except he never had enough time with Shane, thanks to work, while now Damien seemed to spend all of his free time with him.

     “You’re looking violent, man. What’s up?” Caleb commented as he slid in across from his friend. “Where’s Shane at?”

     “Somewhere with Damien,” he replied darkly.

     “Where?”

     “Hell if I know!”

     Caleb studied Tony for a second and then bust out with a wide grin. “Oh, I see what it is. You’re jealous.”

     “And? He’s my fucking boyfriend! I hardly get to see Shane, and then when I have some time, he goes off with Damien. Wouldn’t you be mad?”

     “Yep.” Caleb snorted.

     “It’s not funny…” Tony ground out.

     “It’s the funniest thing I’ve heard in a long fucking time, man. You’re jealous of Damien. That’s fucking funny!”

     “Whatever.”

     “So what exactly happened to make Shane take off with Damien?”

     “I don’t know.”

     Caleb shook his head. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you, stupid. He’s not going to take off like that without a muthafuckin reason.”

     Tony relayed what happened- the censored version- and by the time he was finished, Caleb was back to laughing his ass off again.

     “Care to enlighten me?” Tony asked.

     “Dude got jealous. The end. Man you’re slow.”

 

* * *

 

Shane and Damien arrived at the club soon after and as they were walking along the sidewalk, passing the long line of people waiting for admittance, Shane looked at his friend in worry.

     “I only just thought about it…”

     “What, hun?”

     “Well I used you to get Tony jealous, right. So… well, I don’t want to start shit between you two. I never thought about that.”

     Damien snorted. “Don’t worry about it. Nothing like that will happen. Watch, sweetie. He’ll be all over you the moment he sees you, and in a good way.” He glanced over with a smirk. “That said, I think I should warn you…”

     “What?”

     Damien didn’t answer right away. He led Shane to the door and wagged his fingers at the bouncer as the man unhooked the velvet rope for them with a, “good evening, Mr. Shrod.”

     “Back at you, Brutus. Make sure you don’t let any troublemakers in tonight.”

     “Of course not.”

     “Obviously you don’t know the meaning of troublemaker then,” Shane said and grinned. “Since you’ve just let Damien in.”

       “Ouch!” Brutus laughed. He was so amused he patted Shane’s back. Though his pat thrust Shane forward about five feet and stung like hell.

       “Anyway,” Damien snickered as Shane tried to sooth the painful patch on his back. “I wanted to warn you about Tony.”

     “And?”

     “It’s not really a warning, per say. It’s just I wanted you to be prepared… That hunk can’t last out much longer where you’re concerned. If you know what I mean. He’s a major pervert.”

     Shane surprised Damien by smirking. “I don’t intend to make him wait.”

     “You’re a wildcat, aren’t you?” Damien suddenly asked. Shane turned away without answering. “You are! Awesome. You little shit, always full of surprises. Let’s get some drinks.”

     Damien and Shane headed over to the bar, with the maroon haired guy easily pushing past those already lined at it. There were some complaints, but Damien was easily recognizable, so nobody complained so much that he didn’t get his way.

     “What do you want, cutie?”

     “Just a coke.”

    “What? No way! What do you want?”

     Shane leaned in to whisper in Damien’s ear, “you’ve forgotten I’m only eighteen.”

     “I don’t give a fuck about that!”

     “All the same, I don’t drink in public.”

     Damien gaped at him. “You’re weird, Shane. Really.”

     “It’s good though. I can be the designated driver for you guys. I don’t mind it.”

     “Whatever.” Damien turned away to order their drinks, pouting in disappointment. Shane chuckled as he turned around the scan the club. It was only half full now, but that would change in the next thirty minutes. He caught sight of the VIP table and smiled when he saw Tony was there talking to Caleb. His boyfriend didn’t look too pleased with the world right now. Shane was about to leave Damien and head to the table when he caught sight of that bitch Kate as she skipped up to Tony.

     “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

     “What’s wrong, hun?”

     “Look,” Shane pointed at the table where Kate was now bent over talking quietly to Tony, obviously trying to show off her cleavage. Caleb was sitting back and it looked like he was trying hard not to laugh.

     Damien raised a brow. “Oh I know her… That’s the she bitch you were talking about? Not surprised now. She’s been after Tony since freshman year. Don’t worry. You leave it to me. Be right back.”

     “No.” Shane grabbed onto his arm. “I’ll take care of it.”

     “Hell no! Let me have my fun, Shane. I swear I won’t do bodily harm. You wait and bring the drinks.”

     Shane sighed. He knew Damien was determined. “Fine. But no cat fights.”

     Caleb sat back and watched. This should to be fun. Especially since he caught sight of Shane and Damien, and both had seen this girl come up to Tony, who was looking at Caleb for some sort of help as Kate continued to talk, in no way feeling that she was a bother.

     “I’m so glad you’re here, Tony. I heard that little freshman mention you would be. He seemed kind of rude though…”

     Caleb burst out laughing, “oh man, this is great!”

     “What’s great?” Kate asked.

     “Nothing. Go on and say what you’re saying about this rude fish. I want to hear,” Caleb replied. If looks could kill he would be dead. Tony’s glare would have seared the flesh right off his body.

     “He looked kind of dorky, don’t you think?” she went on. Tony’s glare passed from Caleb to Kate. She moved back slightly in surprise.

     Damien came up behind her. “Dorky? Come on, hun. You know you’re only jealous because he’s prettier than you.”

     “Excuse me?” she whirled around on him and then her eyes widened when she realized who it was.

     “Just speaking the truth. And don’t you think this has gone on long enough?”

     Tony groaned and let his head fall down on the table. Where the fuck was Shane already?

     “I mean,” Damien went on snidely, “how long have you been after Tony? And you haven’t figured it out already? That speaks of stupidity.”

     “What are you talking about?”

     Tony had had enough. “That dorky freshman happens to be my boyfriend.”

     “Your- Your boyfriend? No way! Tony, that’s not funny. You’re joking right? Stop messing around... I mean, there are rumors… but I brushed them off. It’s not true.”

     Tony rolled his eyes.

     “Hey, excuse me.” Shane came up and pushed her aside to place the drinks on the table before shooting a grin at Tony.

     “This little creep may be gay, but there’s no way you are, Tony.”

     “Little creep… Is that what you said, bitch?” Damien hissed. Caleb jumped up and pulled him away from the suddenly pale girl.

     Tony ignored them and grabbed Shane’s hand to pull him into the booth. Shane let Tony pull him over until he was straddling the brunet’s lap. In the next instant their lips were locked and the world disappeared. Shane’s arms wrapped firmly around his boyfriend’s neck, while Tony’s hands were deeply embedded in the track star’s hair.

     “Oh, God,” Tony moaned lowly. “Your mouth, Shane. Your fucking mouth…”

     Shane licked at Tony’s teeth before pulling back slightly. “Yeah, missed yours too,” he whispered before diving back in.

     Catching sight of their amorous actions, Caleb snorted. “Oh, you’re right. He’s not gay at all. Nope. Not here, right out in the open where the world can see him. No, certainly not gay.” He laughed, though there was a hard edge lying underneath. “Now move the fuck on before I release my psycho friend, Kate.”

     Kate flounced off, highly embarrassed. Damien stared after her, debating on whether he should have her kicked out or not. But then he became preoccupied when someone made a very sexy sound. His head whipped around and he placed both elbows on the table to cradle his head with his hands and watched Tony and Shane make out. Yes, he was a voyeur when he felt like it and he definitely felt like it right now. Caleb, on the other hand, quickly excused himself, pulling out his cell and intent on discovering where Mai was.

     Their hands had moved, Damien noted. Tony’s was the most notable. One arm was now wrapped around Shane’s back- underneath the freshman’s dark blue silk dress shirt- and he had pulled Shane tightly against him. The other hand was touching Shane’s face with more gentleness than Damien had ever seen Tony use with any of his lovers. And while Tony was pulling at Shane, the track star was continuously pushing forward. Like he wanted to _be_ Tony, to fuse their bodies together. His hand was also beneath Tony’s shirt, touching the skin wherever he could. Damien smirked. It had been Tony who made that sexy growling noise. It looked like his friend was almost out of his league when dealing with Shane’s enthusiastic return of affection.

     “You two gonna fuck right here in the middle of my club?” he asked in amusement. “Not that I’d mind,” he went on when both moved to look at him. “Only curious.”

     “I was going to say. S’not like you haven’t fucked in the middle of the packed club before,” Tony replied as Shane slipped off to sit beside him.

     “I didn’t mean for you to stop!”

     “You’ve really done that?” Shane asked, ignoring Damien’s pout. “Right in front of people?”

     “It’s my club. I do what I want.”                                                            

     “Seriously?”

     “Well, okay. Not really right in front of people… More like upstairs, in darkened corners where people usually go to do such things. Anyway, now that you’ve stopped, I can go check something in the office. Have fun!”

     Tony narrowed his eyes. “The office?” he murmured as he watched Damien walk away.

     “What is it?” Shane asked in worry. Tony turned and threw an arm around his shoulders.

     “Nothing really. But Damien very rarely goes to the office during club hours.”

     “Despite what he says, he’s still bothered then. About that asshole?”

     “I don’t know… could be anything. Hey,” Tony had lowered his voice and he leaned in until his nose was touching Shane’s. “What the fuck did you think you were doing going off like that with Damien?”

     “You were just standing there talking to her. Didn’t think you’d care,” Shane replied lightly. “Why? Did you get jealous? Didn’t feel very good, did it?”

     Tony grinned sharply. “Vindictive.”

     “When I want to be, yeah.”

 

* * *

 

Damien climbed the back stairs, carelessly swinging the beer bottle between his fingers, his body bopping a little from the echo of the music playing. What must it feel like the way Tony was feeling right now? To know the person in your arms was the one you’d been waiting for your whole life. How did that feel, he wondered. Not that he wanted to know for himself, it was only curiosity. Tony had looked happy. Well not really happy. Damien could hardly see the expression on his face as Shane had been plastered against him.

     He wasn’t guessing. He knew when his friend had it bad. He’d known Tony long enough to recognize the emotions playing in his eyes every time he looked at Shane and although Damien had not known Shane for very long, he could read him just fine. That boy’s eyes were so expressive it was easy to read him, especially when it came to Tony. Damien hadn’t expected those two to move along in the emotional department quite that fast. But to each his own. And it wasn’t as if they weren’t perfectly matched. They were. Shane was a delight. Always surprising him, and that was good. Tony would never get bored. The only one Damien really needed to worry about now was Sheera.

     Damien snorted as he came to the office door. She was an idiot when it came to men. It was a proven fact. She was still with Marc for fuck sake. Damien didn’t know how she could ignore the jerk’s attitude the way she was doing….

     “Whatever,” he said as he unlocked the door and pushed it open, “she’ll eventually get tired of his bull shit. And if she doesn’t, I may have to hurt him…”

     “Hurt who?”

     Damien cried out and flung himself back against the door. When he realized who he was looking at, his hand tightened around the beer bottle and silently cursed every star in the sky before verbally attacking the fates. “Fucking Christ! Is there no homosexual god that loves me? What the fuck?!”

     Newton snorted as he turned in his seat. “Did I scare you?”

     “What the fuck are you doing here? Don’t you have other faggots to terrorize!?” Damien’s hands fisted on his hips and he stamped his foot. “This is my club! You’re not allowed to come here and disrupt my happiness. Can’t it wait for the office?”  

     “Technically it’s your fathers club.”

     “It’s mine! Daddy gave it to me!” Damien spat with another foot stamp. “I demand you leave at once.”

      “Shrod sent me here,” Newton returned as he twisted around to continue watching the Allmsted party from the wide one-way window. He perched his right ankle on his left knee and leaned back, throwing his arms behind his head. “He wanted to know how business was doing.”

     Damien cursed himself for noticing the bulge of muscles on those arms, but it was hard not to notice now. The sleeves of Newton’s gray dress shirt had been rolled up past his elbows so they were conveniently on display.

     “I send reports every week,” Damien muttered as he crossed the large office to the computer where it was thankfully set up at the opposite end from Newton. “There was no need to send an outsider.”

     “An outsider?” Newton raised a brow. “Interesting you should use that word. You see me as an outsider, and yet we’ve worked together for nearly two years.”

       Damien ground his teeth as the computer came on. “Two years of hell.”

       “Be that as it may… I must admit your reports are immaculate. Your father is pleased with your work. However, he wanted,” Newton leveled his gaze on Damien, “an outsider’s opinion. You’re wrapped up in this club. Used to it. He wanted fresh eyes to have a look around. That is why I’m here. To see if there could be any improvements.”

     “I’ve already been thinking about improvements. As I’ve told him already.”

     Damien went on to mumble obscenities under his breath while Newton continued to watch the club. He pulled up one of his many email accounts, this one reserved for very important and extremely private messages, and hissed under his breath when he saw the documents he had been waiting for had yet to be sent. Damien snatched up the phone and dialed a number.

     _“Sir?”_

“Did I or did I not request immediate information?” he asked tonelessly. Newton, having never heard him use that tone of voice, glanced over his shoulder and quirked an eyebrow. Damien ignored him.

     There was a brief pause in which he heard the person on the other line gulp in fear. _“Y- yes, sir. You did.”  
_

“Where is it?” Damien hissed. “You’ve had plenty of time to gather the necessary facts.”

     _“Sorry sir. We’ve only obtained what you wanted today.”_

“Then why am I not looking at it RIGHT NOW?”

     _“Sorry, sir. Sending it now.”_

Damien hung the phone up and watched his screen, tapping nails impatiently on the desk. As he waited for the files, he continued to glance at Newton from the corner of his eye in suspicion. Not one insult. Not one! What the hell was going on? This was bizarre. The past two years he’d worked with this man, and everyday there was never a time without insults; never a time without that disdainful tension bloating the area.

     But whatever. Damien was determined to ignore this jackass, along with all that muscle accompanying said jackass. He wanted to have a good time tonight. He wanted to escape every problem he had these days for at least a few hours. Never mind that Newton was the cause of most of those grievances…

     “Go down to the manager’s office!” he finally snapped. “I don’t want you in here.”

     “Why?” Newton slowly turned to face him. “Am I making you nervous?”

     Damien sneered. “You make me sick, more like it. I feel the need to vomit every time I look at you.”

     The neutrality that had been in Newton’s eyes before was suddenly replaced by icy glass and his lips curled into his own sneer.

     “Don’t get angry, Newton. You already know I can’t stand you,” Damien said before Newton could reply. “From the moment we met and you started spouting off your high mightiness. Looking down on me because I’m the son. Making rude comments about my sexuality… what the fuck do you expect? You think I’m going to fall at your feet and worship you? I’m not that kind of guy!”

     Damien realized he was ranting, but this was nothing new. This usually happened when he and Newton got into it. But Damien thought maybe one day eventually Jared Newton would get it. “I have my pride and you seem to go out of your way to try and pound it to the ground. And you fail to see that we are equal. We have positions in the company we both worked hard for. Positions honestly earned. I haven’t been given any favors by my father. I don’t want any favors…” He trailed off with shock when he suddenly realized Newton was laughing. He was laughing and looking on Damien with pity.

     “You still don’t get it,” Newton drawled and turned back to gaze out of the window.

     “How dare you!” Damien shrieked. “You can’t laugh at me! Hey!”

     Newton ignored him. Damien grabbed at the pen holder and withdrew a pencil, glaring at it, mentally demanding it light on fire to relieve his anger. The pencil didn’t catch on fire, but it did snap in two. That helped a little. And then the file he’d been waiting for popped up, giving Damien something else to concentrate on. He eagerly opened the file and began reading. Newton once again forgotten for the moment.

     “You came here with that boy,” Newton said suddenly after leaning forward to the point where his nose nearly touched the glass. His tone had changed again. He almost sounded friendly. “Isn’t he supposed to be someone’s boyfriend?”

     “He’s not a boy, and his name is Shane,” Damien replied warily, drawing his eyes away from the document. “And yes, he’s Tony’s boyfriend.”

     “And where is Tony?”

     Damien slapped his hands down on the desk. “What is wrong with you? Why are you talking to me as if we’re friends or something?” Damien waited for an answer, but Newton went back to ignoring him. “HELLO!! I’M TALKING HERE!” Still no answer. “Newton… I DEMAND YOUR ATTENTION!”

     That worked. Newton’s attention snapped back to him so fast Damien thought the man’s neck snapped. And his eyes. Those cold gray eyes he hated so much glittered with something undefined.

     Damien took a step back. “Y-you hate me! You hate me because I’m gay! Why are you bringing Shane and Tony up?”

     “Your friend… Shane. He’s having problems right now. I wonder where his boyfriend is because he seems to need help.”

     Damien rushed over to the window and peered down. Newton pointed near the bar where Shane was being pushed into it, his back pressed into the wood in what looked like a painful way. Kenny Hudson was up in his face and was clearly looking hostile and Tony was nowhere in sight.

     “I’ll kill him.” Damien spun around and rushed out of the room.

     Jared stared at the door a moment before returning his sights to the scene below. “I demand your attention…” he snorted. “So dramatic, that one.” Dangerous too, he was quick to remember. He knew all about Damien’s past, knew about the mother’s fucked up abuse, knew about his violent tendencies. Some of which Jared had trouble picturing Damien committing.

     He stood and rolled his neck. He also remembered Shrod’s explicit orders in regards to his son. “Bloody hell…” he muttered as he wandered after Shrod the third.

 

* * *

 

“Back the fuck off me, Kenny!” growled Shane. “Go fuck with someone who has the time for you.”

     “You think you’re hot shit, don’t you? Just because you hang with big boys.” Kenny shoved him into the bar again.

       “Fuck off, dude. I haven’t done anything to you.”

     “Come on then. Why don’t you show everyone how big you are?” Kenny backed up and spread his arms wide. “Take a shot.”

     “You think I’m stupid? I’m not about to get kicked off the team for fighting.”

     “Go figure you don’t have any balls, fucking homo…”

     Shane shoved the bastard back with narrowed eyes. “I may be gay but you’re the one acting like a faggot right now.”

     Kenny turned slightly to glare at the people close by who had found Shane’s comment amusing and started to laugh. When Kenny whipped around, his arm came flying, and Shane had no time to duck. Kenny’s fist hit his jaw so hard his body spun around until his stomach was pressed against the bar. Shane cursed under his breath as he grabbed his jaw and tried to ignore Kenny’s grating laughter. Shane was shaking his head, trying to clear his buzzing thoughts when his arm was caught and he was twisted back around.

     “I’m still convinced your speed is a fluke.”

     “You fucking wish it was,” Shane hissed.

     Kenny pulled back again, and Shane raised his arm to block the punch. Then suddenly someone was standing in front of him, taking the punch for him.

     “Damien!” he cried as his friend was pushed back into him. Damien didn’t answer. He glared at Kenny while touching his busted lip. Kenny kept laughing away. Damien shifted over to grab a bottle off the bar and Kenny’s laughter sharply cut off after Damien swung around and broke the bottle over the bastard’s head.

     Damien’s face was a blank canvas, but his eyes were burning blue flames as he grabbed for another bottle. “Son of a bitch,” he hissed as his fingers curled around the bottleneck. “You won’t ever touch him again.”

     “Damien! Don’t!” Shane jumped forward and caught both arms of his friend and pressed them down to his sides before pushing him back into the crowd away from Hudson. “Stop. He’s not worth it.”

     Damien twisted his arms away from Shane’s hands. “Maybe not for you, sweetie, but for me, oh yeah,” he smiled grimly as he managed to push passed Shane.

     Shane flew after Damien and pulled him back with such a force that they nearly took a tumble to the floor. “I’m good, Damien! He hits like a girl…”

     Kenny was a retard to the tenth degree. He ignored the fact that he was drunk and now probably had a concussion. He ignored the fact that he had assaulted Damien Shrod, and worse, he overlooked the deadly gleam in Shrod’s eyes. He was only concerned with teaching Shane Williamson a lesson. “Wha- you little fucker,” he started to reach out for Shane’s neck, seeing as the shrimp was busy keeping Shrod from attacking further. But before he could reach his target, a hand wrapped around his own throat.

     “You will not bother either of them again. Do you understand?”

     Damien and Shane turned in surprise, having recognized the accented voice, and saw Newton had Kenny Hudson in hand. Damien’s mouth dropped open and he let the beer bottle slip from his fingers in surprise.

     “Are you good? Controlled?” Shane asked and kicked the bottle away before standing in front of him. “Damien?” he was answered with a sharp nod.

     Shane turned back to watch Hudson and Newton, making sure to keep Damien behind him. Arms wrapped around his shoulders and Damien dropped his chin to his shoulder.

     “What am I seeing right now, cutie?”

     Shane chuckled. “Your cold ass bastard associate stepping in to help us.”

     “That’s what I thought.” Damien’s tone was full of awe.

     “Who the fuck are you?” Kenny spat as he tried to work the hand from around his throat.

     “Not really important. But if you need a name or title I suppose you could say I’m the security.”

     “You’re not the fucking security, man. You’d best let go of me.”

     “I’m not letting go until I’ve escorted you outside. You are no longer welcome at the Sage Haze.” Newton started to drag Kenny away and Shane smirked when the bastard looked at him. Kenny struggled and managed to punch Newton in the stomach, expecting that would get Newton’s hands off him.

     It didn’t work. Newton didn’t even react as if he’d been hit. Instead he pushed Kenny’s head down until he was bent over and kneed him in the face. Kenny stayed doubled over and tried drawing in air; only he seemed to have difficulty doing it through his bleeding nose. Newton then jerked him up and let his own fist fly and sent Kenny through the air to land on his back a few feet away.

     Damien unconsciously started trembling at the raw power he saw from Newton’s muscles. Shane shifted uncomfortably.

     “Please tell me that’s your cell phone poking me.”

     “I really wish it was.” Damien released Shane and backed away.

     Shane spun around and gawked at him. “But you hate him!”

     “I know!” Damien hands flew to his maroon hair and he pulled in agitation. “But that was beautiful. You can’t expect me to turn a blind eye! I didn’t know he could fight! I mean, he just went down when Tony punched him, right? Fuck!” he exclaimed as Newton once again began to drag Kenny away. “Yeah, I hate him. I hate him. He’s a fucking homophobe too…”

     Shane cocked his head to study his slightly panicking friend. “He does have nice arms though. And his ass is pretty tight. For an older man, he’s ripe.”

     “SHHHH!” Damien threw his hands over his ears. “I’m not hearing this! I’m not listening! He called you a toy, Shane! Shut up!”

     “I’m only saying. You were the one getting excited just from watching him. Against my ass no less.”

     Damien huffed and pouted. “Where the hell is your man, anyway? Why’d he leave you all alone for some jack ass to annoy you?”

     “He and Caleb went outside to meet Mai and Sheera. No biggie.” Shane looked over and noticed Newton return, and hot on his heels was Tony and the others. Newton must have filled their friends in on what had just happened because Tony looked pissed as he made his way towards them.

     Shane nudged Damien. “Hey, man. Thanks for stepping in. Even though you didn’t need to. And you definitely shouldn’t have clocked him over the head with the bottle.”

     “Whatever,” Damien waved Shane’s words away and watched Newton head back up to the office. “Fucker punched me too.”

    

* * *

 

Tony was once again glaring at the table, but at least this time he had Shane sitting next to him, teasing Damien about being turned on by the one person he hated most.

     “Continue on with this and I’ll hurt you!” Damien spat. Shane laughed at the threat.

     “I can’t believe he helped you out,” Mai said. “Damien, have you been telling us the truth in regards to how he treats you?”

     Damien glared murderously. “Are you implying that I lied about his horrible treatment of me?”

     “No,” Mai replied quickly. “It’s just odd to think he helped out without being asked. Why would he do that if he really hates you?”

     “Probably has nothing to do with me. It probably has everything to do with Daddy and this being a company business. He didn’t want any lasting trouble.” Damien glanced at Shane. “That has to be it.” And for some reason, that explanation pissed him the fuck off. Damien raised his eyes to the second level where the office was located, glared at the black windows, and flicked off the figure he knew to be standing on the other side. He didn’t care if Newton could see him or not. He felt better for having flipped the jerk the bird.

     “What was that asshole’s problem!” Tony suddenly spat.

     “I believe we’ve gone over this,” Damien said.

     “No, not the British jerk. I’m talking about Kenny.”

     “You know what it is, Tony. He’s jealous of Shane’s skills,” Caleb remarked. “Doesn’t like it when his spotlight’s taken away. Kenny and I go way back. We’ve had beef for a long time. Wish I’d been here to see him bother you, Shane. I would have loved to kick his ass again.”

     “Hey, it’s over. Let’s drop it. K?” Shane mumbled. If they continued to talk about the incident, they were only going to get worked up about it again and he’d already had to waste too much time trying to calm Tony down. Big guy has been furious with himself for leaving him alone. Shane had to remind him that he wasn’t a goddamned baby and was used to taking care of himself.

     “Where’s Sheera?” he asked.

     Damien perked up, “yeah? And where’s _Marc_? Love getting under his skin.”

     Tony sighed. “Marc was a no show-”

    “Again?”

     “Yeah, and Sheera decided to go home after bitching to me about it. Like I want to hear about that idiot. She already knows I hate him.”

     “Didn’t you try to get her to stay?” Shane demanded, not liking the idea of his cousin home alone crying over some bastard.

     “Would you stay?” Tony asked, his eyes intent on Shane’s face, “even if you were begged to have a good time?”

     “No, guess not. I’d want to sulk alone,” he murmured.

     Tony slid his arm around Shane’s shoulders and ran his thumb gently along the track star’s jaw. “She’ll be fine, Shane. Maybe she’ll even decide to drop his ass and find someone much better.”

     “We can only hope,” Mai said into her glass.

     “I’ve been hoping for months,” Damien frowned. “Ever since she met him actually…. Okay, this is stupid! It’s Friday night, and we’re all brooding. Let’s go dance!” he grabbed Mai’s hand and pulled her away before Caleb could utter a word.

     “The homo just stole my girlfriend!” Caleb was out of the booth in a flash, trailing after them, shouting at Damien to give his girlfriend back.

     Tony, who continued to rub his thumb across the brat’s jaw and over his lips, looked at his boyfriend and raised an eyebrow. Shane sat perfectly still staring at his hands that were wrapped tightly around his glass of soda. He figured Shane was still worried about Sheera.

     “Let’s go dance.”

     Shane shook his head and remained where he was.

     “What? You can’t dance?”

     “It’s not that,” Shane replied lowly. “I don’t want to dance right now. Your uh… Your thumb, and I feel so hot…”

       “We’ll go outside so you can cool off.” Tony began to slide out of the seat, but stopped when Shane huffed in frustration.

     “I don’t want to cool off.” He grabbed Tony’s hand and guided it to his lap.

     Tony sucked in a breath and his fingers instantly flexed around the bulge. “This better be for me, baby.”

     “Who else would it be for?”

     “You were the one who kept going on about Damien rubbing his dick against your ass.”

     Shane laughed at the dark bothered look aimed at him. “Jealous still?”

     Tony answered by grabbing Shane’s hand and pulling him from the table and towards the exit. “I got the weekend off. You’re staying with me tonight.”

     “Is that an order?” Shane asked. He caught sight of Damien in the crowds and sent him a smirk as he was dragged along.

     “It’s a strong suggestion… Never mind. Yeah it’s an order. You’re coming home with me.”

     “Okay. Don’t mind following that order.”


	7. Episode Seven

“You sure?” Tony asked as he slipped the key into the door.

   Shane raised a brow. Yes, he was sure. Only because he trusted Tony completely. Trusted the older man would take care of him. After what happened in Freemon, he wasn’t sure he could easily slip into this type of situation. But with Tony… he’d never wanted it more. And he wasn’t afraid as he thought he would be. Wasn’t thinking that maybe he was going to be used again.

     “Sounds like you’re not ready for this. If that’s the case then maybe it should wait for another time.” Shane turned and waved over his shoulder. “Call you later.”

     “Hell no!” Tony grabbed the back of Shane’s shirt, pushed the door opened, then tossed his laughing boyfriend inside. “Damn brat…” he muttered as he kicked the door closed.

     “You ever gonna stop calling me that?” Shane asked as Tony grabbed his hand and started to pull him through the apartment.

     “Doubtful.”

     “Where are we going?”

     “The hell do you think?”

     Shane grinned, “I thought I would at least get a grand tour first.”

     “Sure, we’ll start here.” Tony pushed open his bedroom door and pulled Shane inside, his mouth already descending towards the shy smiling lips waiting for him.

     His tongue darted in, licking every part of Shane’s mouth, tasting all he could. “This is my room,” he whispered quickly when they pulled back for air.

     “It’s nice,” Shane returned breathlessly as Tony wrapped a hand around his neck and brought their lips back together. This time Shane plunged in first, determined to taste all of Tony that he could, delighting in the tang and texture; shivering from the low groans issuing from the taller man’s throat. The arm around his waist tightened when Tony quickly took back control of the kiss, sucking any thought from Shane’s mind. It was the first time he had been kissed so thoroughly that he lost track of his location and of the time.

     The brat’s soft moans were undoing him. Tony had lost sense of everything except the feel and taste of the body against him. “This is the bed.” Tony growled as he pushed Shane onto it and spread over him before impatiently removing his dress shirt. His mouth immediately latched onto a pink nipple, eliciting an excited gasp from Shane. His hot tongue licked and swirled over Shane’s chest and down his stomach until the brat was panting and arching off the bed.

     With glazed eyes, Shane watched the head of black hair descend lower until Tony’s hot breath ghosted over his throbbing erection.

     “Tony,” he moaned with a jerk and his legs spread apart in a wanton manner without any prompting. It couldn’t be helped. Even if he didn’t want to give up completely, his body had other ideas. Fortunately for both of them, he was perfectly willing to release to Tony.

     Tony understood this. He could look at Shane lying under him and understand he had a power over him. He could do whatever he wanted to the brat without any resistance. And he knew it wasn’t just about the sex. Shane had released himself to Tony in all things; he saw the submission shining in the darkened lust filled eyes below him. That kind of power terrified and thrilled Tony all at once. He decided he would need to think about this. But only when he had a mind to focus completely on this revelation. Right now though he had a very sexy boy beneath him begging to be taken, and Tony wasn’t going to waste any more time on thoughts when he could focus solely on feeling.

     Shane was soon stripped of everything and writhing on the bed; his legs spread wide with Tony’s face between his thighs, tongue alternating between Shane’s cock and his ass hole.

     “I can’t- Stop, Tony!” he shouted while his fingers pressed down on his lover’s head instead of trying to pull him up. “Too much!”

     Tony lifted his green eyes, took in the way Shane’s back was arched off the bed, head thrown back with beads of sweat making his body glow, and decided he loved a contrary Shane. Obviously his body did not want Tony to stop his ministrations. However since he didn’t want Shane to come yet, he reluctantly slid his mouth from Shane’s gorgeous cock, and moved to lie beside the heavily panting track star.

     He slid his palm over Shane’s thigh and marveled at the taut muscles hidden beneath such a slender frame. He really was beautiful. The brunet pulled Shane’s leg over his own thigh to keep his legs spread. He moaned and bit Shane’s neck when a trembling thigh constantly stroked his weeping cock while they shook.

     With a shaking hand, Tony reached over to the bed side drawer to grab the lube and a condom and while he did that, Shane’s hand moved in between them so that he could finally feel the cock that was about to fill him. Tony twisted around with the lube just as his hand encircled his hard throbbing cock, and both gasped at the contact, though both for different reasons. Tony moaned and half lay over Shane’s chest, burying his nose against the track stars neck, bucking his hips in rhythm with Shane’s moving hand.

       The track star liked what he was feeling, but he was surprised and now a little apprehensive. He hadn’t really thought about Tony’s size before. And now that he had his hand on it, the size was a little daunting. The last guy he’d been fucked by had been a little under average in the size department, and Tony seemed to be a little over average.

     Tony noticed when Shane’s body tensed and pushed up on his elbow to look at his face; a great big grin lit his face when he understood what the problem was. Touching his lips to Shane’s gently he whispered, “don’t worry. I’m going to stretch you good and proper. You can take it. I promise you’ll love it.”

     Shane was stretched slowly. Prepared so thoroughly that by the time Tony thought he’d been stretched enough, the brat was bucking his hips, demanding for release. This alone nearly drove the older man over the edge. When Tony shifted and finally spread over him, Shane reached out quickly, burying his hands in Tony’s hair and pulled their lips together.

     Tony pulled away only long enough to lift the slim boy’s hips and slowly filled Shane inch by burning inch, not stopping until he was balls deep inside. Shane hissed out from the pain, tears gathering at the ends of his long eyelashes and Tony remained still as he kissed the tears away, waited for those big blue eyes to open. When they did they were dark with desire and begging for more.

     The pain did not last long as Tony had done what he promised. Stretched him good and proper. But when the brunet continued to stay still and seemed content to drive him mad by licking away the sweat from his shoulders and neck and upper chest, Shane growled with impatience and lifted his hips. “Tony…”

     Tony bit down on his shoulder and then quickly soothed away the burn with his tongue. “You do that again and I won’t be able to hold back.”  
     Crystal blue eyes met dark green and his fingers pressed into the slick skin of Tony’s muscled back. “Fuck me!” Shane was surprised to hear his own voice sound like that. Breathless and needy. But it was how he felt. Shaking, trembling with a force that made him think his bones would melt or shatter at any moment.

     Grabbing the pillows on the bed, Tony used them to levitate Shane’s hips and then grabbed Shane’s hands, entwining their fingers and pressing Shane’s hands into the mattress beside his head. He swept Shane up into a bruising kiss, and finally allowed his hips to snap forward where his cock plowed into Shane’s body without restraint. Shane’s eyes rolled back as his cries were swallowed by his lover’s mouth.

     Waves of pleasure swept through as Tony rocked him. The heat was overwhelming, the stinging pain of Tony’s cock inside him was besieged by the incredible sensation of being filled by the man on top of him, whose dark green eyes were fixated on his face. Shane vaguely realized he’d never felt this type of exhilaration as the pressure of Tony’s cock sliding in and out built an addicting inferno within him. The sheer power behind Tony’s thrusts caused his vision to dim at some point, only to come back full force as he was nearly blinded with light when his prostrate was hit time and again. He screamed as Tony’s slick abdomen stimulated his leaking cock while the older man fucked him silly, fucked his ass until he was coming with a force that shocked him.

     A smirk appeared on Tony’s face as he watched and felt the orgasm rock the body beneath him. He slowed his thrusts and shifted back slightly to run a hand over Shane’s stomach, sliding his fingers through Shane’s release. He wanted to taste more of Shane. He wanted everything of the boy beneath him. But as he was bringing the cum covered fingers to his mouth, Shane surprised him by grasping his wrist to stay his action. Tony stilled and his eyes widened when Shane pulled his hand down to his swollen pink lips. He watched, fascinated, as a pink tongue darted out to lick one of his fingers.

     “Fuck,” he moaned. Shane made a sleepy appreciative sound before bringing Tony’s palm to his lips to lick all the cum off. “Fuck!” his fingers dug into Shane’s waist and he resumed his frantic thrusts until his body stiffened and his cried out Shane’s name as his body exploded.

 

* * *

 

Tony rolled over as his eyes half opened to blearily read the red digital numbers on his clock. After a few seconds he bolted up into a sitting potion. Damn, he was late for work! He swung the blankets off him, intent on rushing to the shower, when a noise from beside drew his attention. His breath caught as he stared at the sleeping body lying next to him. Shane. Lying on his stomach hugging the pillow, scrunching it up around his head as if he were used to something fluffier.

     That’s right. No work today or tomorrow. Free to do whatever he wanted for the weekend. With Shane. Tony dropped back to his own pillow and crossed his arms behind his head. He watched the sleeping face of his lover and had to work very hard at squashing the urge to reach out and tug the brat closer. But he wanted his arms wrapped around Shane. He wanted to hold onto him while he slept.

     A soft annoyed groan left him as he rubbed his hands over his face. What the fuck? He wasn’t usually one to like cuddling. He didn’t usually have such sappy thoughts running through his mind either. Who the fuck cares though? Shane was his. The brat wasn’t going anywhere after this… not after last night. Not after feeling what he felt when he’d finally had Shane.

     Tony reached out and touched his boyfriend’s arm. Shane shifted closer, drawn by the heat of his hand. Tony was about to do exactly what he wanted and drag Shane against him when he was suddenly hit with the world’s worst case of nerves imaginable. What if Shane woke up and said it had been a mistake? What if the brat regretted more than just sleeping with him? What if Shane hated cuddling? Maybe Shane didn’t feel as strongly for him…

     “Dammit…” he started shaking Shane. He had to know. He had to know if he’d made a horrible mistake bringing Shane home this soon in the relationship. “Hey, Shane. Wake up.”    

     “Fuck off,” he mumbled as he began to turn away, “trying to sleep here.” Mid turn he froze, and Tony stopped breathing. Shane slowly moved back to face him with the most beautiful shade of red covering his face. “Umm…”

     Tony refrained from commenting on Shane’s embarrassment. “Get up, brat.”

     Shane frowned. “Why? Ya wan’ me to leave already?”

     Tony didn’t miss the apprehensive light in those gorgeous blue eyes. There was resignation and disappointment too. What dumbass before had shoved Shane out of his bed after a night with him? “Hell no. I want you to stay as long as you want. In fact I plan to keep you here all weekend.”

     “Good. Then go back to sleep, moron,” mumbled and half smirked at Tony. “You don’t have to work today.”

     Thank fucking God! Tony blew out a relieved breath. If Shane had been upset about what they did, he wouldn’t be acting all normal, would he? He’d probably be up and heading for the door already. And certainly there wouldn’t be a smile tugging at the brat’s lips. “I can’t go back to sleep once I’m up. And since I can’t sleep, then neither should you.”

     Shane’s eyes narrowed. “Fuck that.” He rolled over and pulled the blanket over his head. “Jackass.”

     Okay, he was laying in bed with Tony. With a very naked Tony and he himself was very naked. He’d never woken up in another man’s bed before. He’d always been kicked out…Tony probably suspected the blush on his face was embarrassment, but truthfully, it was all happiness, as girly as that sounded. He had to roll away in order to hide the face splitting grin he had felt coming on. Now that the blanket covered his head, he allowed himself to smile.

     “I’m feeling generous,” Tony slipped a hand under to run his fingers through Shane’s hair, “so I’ll let you sleep some more. I’m gonna shower then make breakfast. You need anything, take it. Got that, brat?”

     Shane yawned loudly. “Yeah, got it... Sleep now.”

     Tony’s low chuckle as he slipped out of bed caressed Shane in all the right places and he sighed. After a moment, he was able to doze off again for nearly half an hour, but it was a light sleep and filled with visions of the night before. Shane’s eyes popped open when every vivid detail came rushing to his mind and pushed the sleep away. So much for more sleep.

     He got up and stretched as he moved on to the bathroom. Last night… letting go like that with the knowledge that Tony would take care of him… that had felt good. And now he felt great, despite the slight ache in his backside.    

     “Tony? Where’s the towels- never mind!” He found not only a towel waiting on the sink, but also a set of clothing. The articles would be too big for him but he didn’t care.

     Tony turned back to the stove once Shane seemed to have everything he needed in the bathroom. For once he felt like calling Damien to brag about the night he just had, it had been that good. And good was the mildest term he could possibly use to describe it. He paused what he was doing when the shower turned on and closed his eyes as an image of Shane standing under the hot spray came to him. Warm and wet, hot water soaking his entire body… and he’d be eager too.

     “Man…” He opened his eyes and tried to get back to breakfast, but as the minutes passed he couldn’t get the picture out of his mind.

     Turning off the stove, Tony thought he was losing his mind. He walked towards the bathroom and upon reaching it, was surprised to find the door open. That spoke volumes about how comfortable the brat felt around him. Even if they did have sex, some people would not feel so comfortable around a lover so soon. The thought brought on the biggest grin Tony thought he’d ever had.

     Hot mist surrounded him as he entered the bathroom. He peeked behind the shower curtain to find his lover’s back to him, head tilted back as shampoo was being rinsed out of the water-darkened blond locks that nearly touched his collar bone when wet. Without waiting another second, Tony stripped and stepped in behind Shane.

     Apparently Shane had heard him enter the bathroom because when Tony wrapped his arms around the teen and spread his hands across his chest, Shane made a small sound of pleasure and leaned back against him without seeming the least bit surprised at Tony’s sudden appearance.

     “I’m supposed to be getting clean,” he murmured.

     Tony pushed his boyfriend against the wall. “Sorry,” he replied as he pressed against him and let his hand slide down to cup Shane’s ass, “but I couldn’t help myself. I tried.”

     “Liar,” Shane tried laughing, but all that came out was a trembling moan when a slick finger breached him. “You- you didn’t try at all.” He pushed back against Tony’s hand when another finger entered.

     “Want you again.” Tony moved his face closer to the brat’s so he could hear the sexy moans escaping his pretty mouth. “Fuck, want you so bad.”

     “Twice last night wasn’t enough?” Shane’s hands slid down the slick wall as he bent over further, allowing Tony better access.

     Tony nibbled on his ear, “never enough.” He withdrew his fingers, “can you take it? Don’t want to hurt you.”

     Shane spread his legs in answer and pressed back against the cock poised at his entrance.

     “…I don’t have a condom,” Tony hissed in frustration, staring down at that fantastic ass. Why the fuck didn’t he have condoms in the bathroom? He could practically see Shane’s tight hole quivering in anticipation. “Fuck.” It was okay for a grown man to cry, right?

       “Got tested three months ago. I’m clean,” Shane whispered, looking at Tony over his shoulder.  

       Tony grinned like a kid. “Me too! Good… yeah,” he muttered. “Fucking brilliant. God, Shane. Your body is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

       Shane huffed. “Can you fuck me now? Hard would be nice.”

       The demanding tone had Tony shoving his cock inside and he proceeded to do exactly what was demanded. He fucked him hard and fast until by the time they were done, both were ready to collapse in a heap on the bathroom floor, unable to stand as their legs had been turned to jelly.

    

* * *

 

Tony grabbed his phone and went into the kitchen, leaving Shane sleeping on the couch. It was late Sunday afternoon and Tony felt a little smug over the fact he’d exhausted his boyfriend. “What is it?” he asked after answering.

     _“I have some information you might be interested in looking at.”_

“What kind of information?”

     _“It’s about cutie’s attackers.”_

“Should have known you wouldn’t let that drop. If this involves anything drastic, I’m out.”

     _“Come on! When was the last time we had some fun, huh? You, me, and Caleb. We need to get into mischief or we’ll fall into despair and die!”_

     Tony turned his back on the living room and whispered into the phone. “Letting Shane know about this would not be good.”

     _“No duh!”_

“What exactly are you planning?”

     Damien hesitated before answering and during that time Tony heard the sound of a key being pushed into a lock before a door was opened. _“Come over and I’ll tell you all about it,”_ he finally answered. _“Don’t want to do it over the phone.”_

“No, man.” Tony quickly moved off to the bathroom, shutting the door quietly behind him. “I’m off today and Shane’s here. I refuse to start this relationship off with lies.”

     On the other line Tony heard the fridge open followed by an annoyed huff. _“The fridge is empty again. Tony, buy me some groceries will you.”_

“Go shopping yourself, lazy ass!”

     _“Anyways, bring Shane with you! No one said you had to lie to him. The subject won’t be mentioned until he’s occupied with something else…”_

“Can’t right now. He fell asleep.”

     _“Ah. You wore him out, Tony? And? How was it? How many times so far? I bet you made him see stars.”_

“Don’t start asking about that. None of your fucking business.”

     _“Give me something! I’m your best friend! I’m entitled to know things,”_ Damien wailed. _“Anything. I’ll have you know I haven’t had sex since that kid got here!”_

Tony sighed, “five, six times. Don’t know, lost count.” 

     _“Tony! You animal! He won’t be able to walk for days!”_

“He’s fucking addictive!” Tony couldn’t help but say.

Damien laughed. _“How good was it?”_

“Damien…” he warned.

     _“I won’t tell anyone. I just want to know if my suspicions were right. Which they usually are. So you should be sounding more pleased and less irritated. Please tell me I wasn’t wrong about how good it would be. Please!”_

Tony opened his door to peek into the living room where Shane was still sprawled across the couch dozing. His fingers gripped the phone so hard his knuckles turned white. “I’m not letting him go, Damien. Ever.”

There was a surprised indrawn breath. _“Whoa, Tony. Maybe you should think about what you’re saying.”_

“You don’t understand… I know what I feel. There’s no need to think about it.” Tony grimaced and then cleared his throat when he realized he was in danger of sounding too sentimental. “Anyway, what’s up with you not fucking since Shane got here?”

     _“I don’t know. Haven’t felt like it… stop grinding your teeth, sweetie. It’s not because of Shane. I swear I don’t want him. He’s great though, making you jealous on purpose. That’s classic!”_

“Don’t call me sweetie,” Tony growled. “Anyway, we’ll come over in a bit.”

     _“Gonna fuck before coming over, aren’t you?”_ Damien asked with a knowing chuckle. Tony growled again and cut off the connection.

      

* * *

 

_“What exactly are you planning?”_

     Damien didn’t answer as he unlocked his door and stepped into his apartment. He frowned upon noticing a small chip on his nail. He continued to glare down at the insufferable chip as he headed through his apartment into the kitchen.

     Dropping his backpack and briefcase on the kitchen table he replied, “come over and I’ll tell you all about it. Don’t want to do it over the phone.” Damien immediately went to raid the fridge and listened to Tony’s excuses about being off and having Shane to himself and not wanting to lie.

     He scowled upon noticing the lack of product inside the refrigerator. “The fridge is empty again. Tony, buy me some groceries will you.”

_“Go shopping yourself, lazy ass!”_

     “Anyways, bring Shane with you, idiot! No one said you had to lie to him. The subject wont be mentioned until he’s occupied with something else.”

_“Can’t right now. He fell asleep.”_

     “Ah. You wore him out, Tony?” Damien backed away from the fridge to lean against the island counter before removing his necktie. “And? How was it? How many times so far?”

_“Don’t start asking about that! None of your fucking business!”_

     “Give me something! I’m your best friend! I’m entitled to know things,”he wailed. “Anything. I’ll have you know I haven’t had sex since that kid got here!”

Tony sighed, _“five, six times. Don’t know, lost count.”_

     “Tony! You animal!” Damien hopped up and sat on the counter and started to nibble on the stupid chipped nail. “He won’t be able to walk for days!”

     _“He’s fucking addictive!”_

       Damien laughed delightedly. “How good was it?”

     _“Damien.”_ It was clear Tony was warning him not to press this. But Damien never listened.

       “I won’t tell anyone. I just want to know if my suspicions were right. Which they usually are. So you should be sounding more pleased and less irritated. Please tell me I wasn’t wrong about how good it would be. Please!”

There was a moment of silence before Tony spoke again. Conviction ringing clear in his gruff voice. _“I’m not letting him go, Damien. Ever.”_

Damien was surprised to say the least. He hadn’t expected this from Tony so soon.“Whoa, Tony. Maybe you should think about what you’re saying.”

     _“You don’t understand. I know what I feel. There’s no need to think about it...”_ Damien grinned when Tony cleared his throat; clearly embarrassed he had admitted that much. _“Anyway, what’s up with you not fucking since Shane got here?”_

     “I don’t know,” Damien replied with a shrug. “Haven’t felt like it… stop grinding your teeth, sweetie. It’s not because of Shane. I swear I don’t want him. He’s great though, making you jealous on purpose. That’s classic!”

 _“Don’t call me sweetie.”_ Tony’s growl made Damien grin. _“Anyway, we’ll come over in a bit.”_

     “Gonna fuck before coming over, aren’t you?”he asked with a knowing chuckle. He wasn’t surprised when Tony cut the call off. He pulled the phone away from his ear and jumped off the counter, “he’s so grumpy sometimes.”

     Damien shrugged out of his business jacket as he turned. It was then he finally noticed someone was sitting in his living room, arm perched on the sofa armrest; chin resting in hand with gray eyes gazing at him thoughtfully.      

     There was so much going on inside Damien’s head at that moment that he couldn’t open his mouth and say one thing. He simply stared at the intruder with shock. That shock quickly grew to an encompassing anger that had his body trembling in rage. Instead of using that rage to tear the bastard to shreds, Damien simply breezed by and went straight through to his room without a word. The lack of reaction surprised Jared Newton.

     The quiet shutting of the door was immediately followed by, “MOTHER FUCKER! GODDAMNED SON OF A BITCH!!” Damien’s shrieks could probably be heard at least five floors below. Jared snorted. That was the expected reaction. At least Damien had taken himself off first.

     Damien stayed in his room for twenty minutes. Cursing, yelling, and throwing things around. Jared remained where he was during that time. His patience could outlast Damien’s little tantrums.

     Finally the door opened again and Damien’s head appeared. It was obvious he was peeking out to see if Jared had left yet. When he found the intruder sitting in the exact spot he left him, Damien scowled and retreated back into his room. The dark haired man sighed and started tapping his fingers on his tailored khaki clad knee. This was probably going to take forever. Maybe his patience wasn’t going to last. He’d been waiting there for an hour before Damien came home, and then he had to sit through that interesting phone conversation of which he heard everything both Damien and Tony said. Jared wondered if Damien realized how loud the speaker volume was on. It was a wonder he wasn’t deaf yet.

     Another ten minutes passed before the door opened once again. This time Damien came out, sauntering into the living room with his head held high and temper in check. Jared’s brow rose upon seeing his state of dress. Damien was no longer in his business suit and had changed into a pair of designer jeans that were purposely faded and torn along the inside of his thigh, knees, and just under his arse at the back of his left leg. Jared noticed that last one when Damien swept passed him into the kitchen to grab the mainline cordless phone. He vaguely realized he stared at that patch of visible skin longer than he probably should have. Along with the jeans Damien wore a tight-fitting black t-shirt and was barefoot. They weren’t clothes he expected the heir of Shrod Group Ltd to go around in. Not that he didn’t like them; they actually suited the drama queen. But it was unexpected. Then again, a lot of what he’d discovered recently about Damien was unexpected.

     He started to worry when Damien did nothing but return to the living room once he had the phone and sit on the couch with his legs crossed under him. The only thing that was natural about this situation and Damien’s actions was the level ten glare aimed his way.

     Damien slowly lifted the phone and punched in three numbers. Jared held back the laughter as Damien brought the phone to his ear.

     “Hello, I’d like to report a break-in,” he said calmly. “Yes, the _intruder_ is still in _my_ house. Doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere.” Damien glanced at him, his eyes expressing his expectations to see Jared run away now.

     Jared started laughing aloud then. “You haven’t called the police. You can stop with the charade.”

     Damien pulled the phone away from his ear and glared petulantly. “I beg your pardon! I did so call the police. If you don’t leave right now you are going to be arrested and I’ll see to it you don’t make bail. I don’t care how much Daddy likes you! I’ll see to it that you rot away!”

     “I have very keen hearing. You dialed pound-zero-one.” Jared grinned as he leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Not the police. Whose number is that? It’s a favorites correct? Your boy toy’s sleeping so I doubt it’s him or Candon-”

     Damien clutched the phone tightly to his chest. “How the fuck did you know that? And he’s not my boy toy!”

     Jared looked at him like he was stupid. “I was sitting right here when you were speaking to Candon. Remember? I could hear his end of the conversation just as well. Lower the volume of your cell if you don’t want everyone to hear-”

     Damien shrieked and flung the phone at his head. Jared had been expecting this and easily caught it. He kept his eyes pinned on the seething young man as he raised the phone to his ear. “And who is this?” Jared’s brow rose as he listened. And then he started to rattle off in Chinese.

     When he was done he tossed the phone aside and bent forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Hope you don’t mind but I ordered for you.” When Damien didn’t look like he was going to speak, Jared went on as if this was an everyday occurrence. “Why did you call your Chinese take-out place? I find it amusing that’s the first number on your favorites. ”

     Damien was still having trouble figuring out what was going on in his mind. And now he was almost too tired to even care. “What are you doing here, Newton?” he finally asked after stretching out on his back. He picked up a throw pillow and tried to smother himself. “Tell me what you want then get the fuck out,” he muttered.

     “We need to talk about some things,” Jared replied as his eyes passed over the slender body stretched out on the couch. “Something important, I think.”

     Damien laughed hollowly into the pillow before dragging it slowly off his face and turning to face Newton. “Have you ever felt the need to kill someone, Newton? Have you ever wanted to literally commit murder? Ever experienced mind numbing anger that can sweep away all common sense and the only thing you want to do is kill, and enjoy doing it? Have you ever felt that way?”

     “I have.” Jared answered truthfully, smirking when Damien’s eyes widened in surprise. Jared cocked his head to the side, “you hate me that much?”

     “That’s the stupidest question I’ve ever heard,” Damien snapped and threw the pillow across the room at him. As he deftly dodged the pillow, Jared noticed his question had not been answered.

     Damien rubbed his face with his hands. “What do you want?” he whined.

     “To talk to you about what you were talking to Candon about. I am aware of the information you received last night. Yes I’ve read the report about Derrick Carter and I realize you plan to retaliate. I am also aware of the things you and your friends have done in the past that have sometimes ventured on the illegal side.”

     Damien slowly stood, his glacial eyes flashing dangerously. “Care to explain how you know all this?”

     “No. How I go about getting my information is no one’s business but my own.”

     Damien studied Newton. He looked the same. Still the thirty-two year old homophobic bastard with the amazing ass and scary eyes. But clearly there was more to Newton than he’d ever thought. “Who the fuck are you?” he demanded.

     “You know who I am.”

     “That feeling…” Damien clamped his mouth shut, his fists balling at his sides and tried to remember his father would be disappointed if he killed this bastard in front of him. “That mind-numbing anger… Newton, I suggest you get the fuck out.”

     “I can’t do that until I’ve explained things more clearly. Perhaps you should calm down. I’m not afraid of you and I will take you down without breaking a sweat.”

       Damien gasped, his eyes going wide in astonishment. “You just threatened me!” The awed confusion on Damien’s face made Jared laugh. Damien looked like a kid just now, being threatened with a spanking for the very first time.

     “You threaten me all the time,” Jared pointed out.

     “That’s different!” Damien cried and wrapped an arm around his middle. “You’re always saying mean things!”

     Jared narrowed his eyes. “And you only see and hear what you want. You’re so self-absorbed you see nothing else. I’ll make a deal with you, Damien. The moment you stop hating me for something I haven’t even done, that will be the moment I keep the comments to myself- most of which had no real meaning behind them and you know it! You hated me before we said one word to each other. You hated me the moment you saw me in your father’s office two years ago. Can you tell me why that is?”

     Damien quickly turned away from him, his face gone blank. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

     The doorbell rang, and because Damien didn’t seem to show any signs of life, Jared got up to answer it. Knowing full well that it would piss the younger man off more. He accepted the take-out and paid the delivery person. Once he had the food he brought it into the kitchen and set it on the table, keeping one eye on the prone body that was once again lying on the couch with another pillow clutched firmly against his face.

     However, the smell of Chinese food must have hit Damien because his head suddenly popped up. He watched Jared for a moment, following his movements as he went around the kitchen searching for plates and utensils.

     Suddenly Damien hopped off the couch and quickly made his way to the kitchen. “HOW DARE YOU MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME HERE!”

     Jared ignored his outraged tone. “Do you want some of this or not?”

     “NOT!”

     “Suit yourself.”

     Damien huffed and dropped down onto the black carpet and crossed his legs. Jared shook his head. “How old are you again?” Damien flipped him off. “I suppose we should all be grateful you don’t act this way at the office. Otherwise we’d lose billions daily.”

     Damien’s nose rose into the air, and he smirked. “I’m a diamond. There are many sides. When I work I am nothing but professional and you can’t deny the fact.”

     Jared studied Damien for a moment, before snorting. “Get off your arse and get something to eat. Weren’t you complaining about your fridge being empty?”

   The front door opened just as Damien sat down across from Jared. He hissed, “this doesn’t mean I like you.”

     Jared’s quick grin caught Damien by surprise and he was still blinking at him when Caleb and Mai appeared.

     Jared Newton was prepared for Damien’s friends this time and he had come prepared to face the animosity. He’d been warned by Shrod of their loyalty to Damien and in order for him to do this aspect of his job properly, he would need to win them over. Jared was aware he’d fucked that up the first time he came around. Still, Shane and Mai could be easily won, Caleb could go either way, but it was Sheera and Tony he knew would give him the most problems. Harder still because he refused to grovel and would not pretend to be something else just to gain someone’s trust once he’d deemed the environment safe.

     “C’mon, baby…” Caleb whispered when they caught the two eating at the table. “I think we got the wrong apartment.”

     “Ooh, yummy!” Mai spied the food and rushed over, completely ignoring Jared.

     “Mai, did you bring the stuff?”

     “Course, sweetie. Everything you asked for.”

     Caleb approached, a dark look over his dark face. “What the hell, Damien? Why the fuck is he here?”

     “Don’t know.” Damien glanced up at Jared. “Keeps weaseling out of telling me the exact reason, snobby British jerk!” And Damien couldn’t understand why he hadn’t physically attacked the fine bastard yet. And why he was all right with sitting there eating with the guy. It seemed all his homicidal rage had disappeared, and he hadn’t felt uncomfortable with talking to him. It was like… they were sort of bonding over Chinese food. He didn’t like it.

     “You’re one to talk. Snobby, indeed.”

     Caleb pulled out a chair and sat beside Damien. Mai plopped down on his lap and they began eating from the same plate. “Just warning you. Tony and Shane are here. Saw them pull into the parking lot as we hit the elevator. Tony’s gonna be pissed to see him here.”

     “That reminds me,” Damien said to his associate. “I saw the way you took care of that bastard in the club on Friday night. How is it Tony managed to knock you out?”

     “Caught me by surprise.”

     “That’s bullshit. You’re used to fighting. I could see it with the way you moved.”

     “He’s got a good arm. I was impressed actually. The first hit stunned the hell out of me and I didn’t have time to react when he hit the side of my head. He didn’t hold back at all.”

     “That’s because you called Shane a toy and the rest of my friends common!”

     “I was mistaken. I do apologize. You will accept it, won’t you?” Jared asked with sincerity, though he didn’t look up at the surprised man across from him.

     “I- Um… I’ll think about it.”

     “That’s all I can ask.”

     Mai and Caleb were staring back and forth in confusion. Finally it was Mai who couldn’t keep her curiosity contained. “Why are you being so friendly with our baby now?”

     “I’m tired of being mean to get his attention,” Jared replied as the front door was once again opened.

     “What are you talking about? I demand attention all the time!”

     Shane’s voice floated down to them. “I’m just saying… the guy can’t be all bad if he helped us out.”

     “Anyone who fucks with Damien’s head is permanently on my hit list, brat.” Damien sat straighter and his face lit up like it was Christmas morning. “Your problem is you see the good in everything.”

     “There’s nothing wrong with that, Tony! Besides he helped me out too. Doesn’t that mean anything?”

     “Not fair,” Tony answered lowly.

     There was a sound of rustling, of a body being pressed against the wall. “Yeah, I know.” The occupants in the kitchen could clearly hear the purr in the younger man’s voice.

     Caleb snorted when they heard one of them moan and then Tony said, “let’s go into one of the guest rooms. Now.” Damien snickered and shared a wide smile with Mai.

     “No way!” Footsteps resumed down the hall. “My ass still hurts...” Shane’s face turned the shade of a tomato seeing everyone at the table, all eyes pinned on him.

     Tony followed shortly after, eyes firmly fixed on Shane’s ass, while a large smug grin was plastered across his face. “It’s a fine ass.”

     “My, doesn’t he sound… hungry,” Mai whispered.

     Tony took one look at Jared and his eyes darkened and narrowed. “Damien.” He then turned and stormed into the master bedroom.

     Caleb clucked his tongue as they watched Damien trail after his best friend. “Dude, he’s furious.”

     Shane gingerly slipped into Damien’s seat just as the door shut, trying not to cringe from the twinge in his ass. He then winced when Tony’s voice easily carried to them. “WHAT THE FUCK IS HE DOING HERE, DAMIEN?”

     “So why are you here?” Shane asked, his blue eyes fixed firmly on the man opposite him. “Did you come here to mess with him again?”

     “Business.” At once three pairs of eyes narrowed on him and he thought he should elaborate. “I’m here now for business.”

     “And what about that stuff with you being a homophobe?” Mai demanded. “We don’t tolerate that here.”

     “Why have I been labeled so odiously?”

     “Are you saying you’ve never commented on Damien’s sexuality?”

     Jared remained silent, though he did smirk.

     “You should leave,” Caleb snarled. “I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but you could undo everything we’ve accomplished with him. He comes home everyday whining about wanting to gouge your eyes out.” The black man then shoved a chopstick in Jared’s direction. “One day, he’s going to lose control and do it. And if that happens and he gets in trouble for it, we’ll kill you. Understand?”

     Jared’s brow rose. He could see the tall man meant it and his girlfriend was nodding along, a hard glint in her brown eyes. “I’m here to make sure he gets into no more trouble.”

     Mai frowned. “To do that you’d have to follow him around almost everywhere.”

     “Or predict his movements,” Jared answered with a firm look at Caleb.

     “You try and take his fun away, he’ll skin you alive.” Caleb flashed a mean toothy grin at the thought. “Try though. It’ll be fun to watch.”

     “I never said I would stop him. I said I’m here to make sure he doesn’t get into trouble.”

     Shane was intrigued and leaned forward, eyes wide with curiosity. “Are you a bodyguard or something? I thought you were business partners.”

     Jared couldn’t help but smile at the curiosity radiating from Shane. “We are.”

     “Hold up! Are you saying you’re going to tag along…” Caleb trailed off when he realized Shane was still sitting at the table.

     “Yes that’s exactly what I’m saying.”

     Tony came out then, looking pale and remorseful. “Um… Mai? Could you go and calm him down please. I kind of…” he ran his fingers through his hair and grimaced at the floor.

     “What did you do?”

     “I don’t know… he got really upset.” Mai narrowed her eyes on him. “I swear I didn’t mean to make him cry, but he broke down. I think he’s having another panic attack.”

     Mai quickly rushed into Damien’s room calling, “ _baka_!” at Tony over her shoulder as she went.

     “He was fine a few minutes ago,” Jared stated flatly, his gray eyes going cold as he stood.

     Tony rounded on the British bastard. “You shut the fuck up!” he yelled and approached Jared, fists balled at his side. “This is your fault!”

     Jared flexed his fingers, “I fail to see how.”

     “You’ve got his head all confused!”

     Caleb stood and blocked Tony from reaching Newton. “Calm down, man. You think he deserves to know so much? Let’s just… Let’s wait for Damien to come back out. Ignore this guy.” He started pulling Tony back into the living room towards the flat screen TV. “I want to whoop your ass anyway.”


	8. Episode Eight

Shane shifted and winced, again. Then blushed furiously when he caught Newton eyeing him with a look that suggested he knew exactly where his discomfort originated. He was relieved Caleb dragged a reluctant Tony away to make him play a video game. Shane hadn’t realized, but Tony was obsessed with video games and soon he was quickly ensconced in the espionage game and was happy to ignore Newton instead of wanting to beat him to pieces.

     Yet those gray eyes continued to study him until he had enough of feeling uncomfortable under that gaze. “Something you wanna say?” he asked quietly, not willing to draw his boyfriend’s attention.

     “You were beat up, is that correct?” he asked in the same quiet manner. “Before arriving in Allmsted.”

     Shane’s eyes narrowed. “That’s not any of your business.”

     “How badly did they beat you?” Shane made to stand up, but Jared reached across the table and gripped his wrist almost painfully, keeping him in the chair. “Answer the question.”

     “It was four against one and they didn’t hold back. How bad do you think it was? Let go of me, man.”

     Jared released Shane and sat back to study him. The kid didn’t look eighteen. He looked more like sixteen with his slight build and light hair framing a baby face. He was clearly a boy. Walked, talked, and acted like one, but even though he was male, he was very attractive. Even the straightest man would give him a second look after noticing that face and those big blue eyes. “Did they do anything else to you?”

     This time Shane did make it out of his chair, his eyes widening. “Fuck off.”

     Jared nodded to himself. “They tried,” he surmised.

     “Shut up,” Shane hissed.

     “If that’s the case,” Jared thought to himself out loud, “I find it unusual you jumped into Candon’s bed so fast. Usually people who’ve been attacked like that take some time to trust again. Even if you were able to get away before the bad shit happened…”

     “Are you calling me a fucking slut again?”

     Jared blinked in surprise. “No. If I thought that, I would have said it straight out.” Damn, he’d done it again. The kid had paled and was backing away. His face was a mix of pain and confusion. As if he had never thought about it before. And now that Jared had said something, the doubt was rolling in. He could see it filling the kid’s eyes. Fuck, he had to fix this.

     “Shane, c’mere a minute,” Damien called from his open doorway. Shane practically ran to him.

     “Here.” Damien handed Shane a couple of pills and grinned. “For your poor defenseless ass. These help me out every time. Don’t worry, they’re only mild pain relievers. Over the counter.”

     “Um… T- Thanks.” Shane slid them into his pocket as he turned away. Once again his motions were stopped when Damien reached out to grab his arm.

     Cherry top narrowed his eyes as he studied his face. “Something’s wrong with you.”

     “No!” Shane forced a laugh and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m cool. Just tired, I guess. Hey, I- I’m gonna use the bathroom.”

     He headed away before Damien could press further and aimed for the hallway where the guest bathroom was. He glanced at Tony on the way, smiled brightly when green eyes lightened on him. Tony started to grin back, only to pause when he noticed something wasn’t right about Shane’s smile.

     Caleb shoved him just when he thought about following the brat. “Tony, c’mon man. Get your head in the game!”

     “Fine. But after this we’re taking a break.”

     “Deal.”

     Shane was thankful for Caleb’s interruption. As he slipped into the hallway, Newton caught his eye, and seemed almost concerned. Shane averted his attention and kept his gaze on the front door and slipped out of the apartment seconds later.

     Jared closed his eyes with a sigh. “Bloody fuck,” he murmured under his breath.

 

* * *

 

     _Why, why, why is he still here?!_ Damien thought despairingly once Shane disappeared to the bathroom. Jared was still sitting at the table. _WHY?!_

He glanced at Mai with wariness. He’d confessed far too much to his friend under the influence of his panic attack, and she was slightly pissed off at him. Well… it wasn’t his fault if he had maybe over exaggerated about the amount of pains Newton put him through. Though not all of it had been exaggerated. Newton was a right bastard at times and he had wanted to kill him a time or three.

     Anyway, the best thing for him to do was get Newton gone. “Spit it out, then leave,” he said at once after entering the kitchen.

     “Whatever you do about this Carter character, I want in. I’m going to be there.”

     “Hell no! What’s it got to do with you?”

     “I don’t like it when people are taken advantage of.”

     “It has nothing to do with you.”

     That may be true, but Jared didn’t like when people were taken advantage of. Especially not a kid who’d been outnumbered four to one and had nearly been a victim of rape. “Did you ask Shane for specifics about that fight? About why they were fighting in the first place?”

     “He’s gay. They’re homophobes.” Damien gave him a quelling glare. “Just like other people I know.”

     “Fuck off with that shite!” Jared exploded, drawing everyone’s attention. He stood and glared down at the surprised young man across from him. “I’m not adverse to people liking the same sex.”

     “Sure could have fooled me!” Damien snapped back.

     “Once again your head is so far up your arse, you’re missing the big picture.”

     “What the hell are you talking about now?!”

     Jared opened his mouth to say, but snapped it shut again, shutters coming down. _Now is not the time._ He thought he’d better change gears. “How much do you know of your new friend, Damien? How much do you know about his attack?”

     “Only what he told me. Why?”

     Jared made sure everyone else was occupied before he went on. He hated to do this, but knew Damien was the only one who could relate to Shane and help him if he needed it. Even though it seemed Shane had chosen a different path. But that could also be because he’d only been beaten up and not raped. “I’m sure you remember what happened to you when you were fourteen,” he finally said.

     “Did my father give you this information,” Damien asked quietly, flatly while his knuckles turned white on the edge of the table.

     “Do you honestly think he would? Do you think Shrod would betray you like that?”

     Damien’s grip on the table eased off slightly. “How did you find- why are you bringing this up?”

     “I had no intention of doing so, but unfortunately I was talking to Shane, guessed correctly, and scared him off.” Jared leaned forward. “It wasn’t just a beating those fuckers were aiming to give him. He was doing a good job of pushing it away before I opened up my mouth. Do you get me now?”

     Damien’s eyes widened. “That’s why he was looking funny?”

     “Yes. He left five minutes ago.”

     “Goddamn you, Newton!” Damien pushed away from the table loudly, drawing his friends’ attentions. “Why didn’t you say so before?!” and without another word to anyone he belted for the door. Jared mentally cursed when he felt the presence of someone behind him. As he turned to face Tony, he knew this would not end well.

     “What did you do now?”

     “Is it a crime to talk?”

     Just as Tony took a step forward, Mai jumped in between them. “Go and check on Damien,” she told Tony.

     “Fine.” Tony spun around and headed for the hallway. Jared met Mai’s annoyed glare knowing this was about to get a whole lot worse. It was confirmed five seconds later. “Where’s Shane?” Tony called out when he passed the bathroom and found the door wide open with the light off. He turned and started searching all the rooms, thinking Shane might have wanted to sleep, but the brat was nowhere in the penthouse. It was then he remembered the smile on Shane’s face that hadn’t seemed right at the time.

     Tony walked back into the living room, his eyes boring into Newton’s as he pulled out his cell to call Shane. He tried three times, immediately receiving an unavailable message each time. Shane must have turned his phone off.

     “You said something to Shane and he took off,” Tony said as he put his cell away. “Then you told Damien what you said to my boyfriend, which is why Damien just ran out of here. Obviously you said something to scare Shane. What did you say, Newton?”

     “You should ask him yourself. I’m surprised you never guessed on your own. But I suppose that’s what happens when you only think with your dick when you’re around him. He’s a kid. You should take more care.”

     “You son of a bitch!”

     Mai tried to interfere again, but Caleb grabbed her shoulders with a hard look and kept her out of it. “Let’em do what they want, baby.”

     Fury washed through Tony as he swung at Jared. Unbelieving that Newton would suggest he only cared about fucking Shane, and furious over the fact that Newton knew something about his boyfriend that he did not.

     By the time Damien came back without success of finding Shane, both Jared and Tony were sprawled on the floor bloodied and bruised, glaring at each other, but no longer able to fight. Mai held them at gunpoint, sputtering Japanese at their stupid asses while Caleb lounged back against the sofa laughing at the pissed off look on Tony’s face and the astonished look on Newton’s as they stared at the gun.

     “They wouldn’t stop fighting,” Mai told Damien when he took the gun. Damien snorted before checking the clip. He grinned and flashed the clip at the two on the floor.

     “It was empty?!” Tony yelled as he stood up on shaky legs

     “Duh! You think I want to shoot you by accident?” Mai flipped her hair over her shoulder and snorted. “Please, I’m not stupid.”

     “Yo, man!” Caleb called to Damien, “they got blood on your carpet.”

     “Shit,” Tony slowly spoke that one word and started backing away as Damien fell on his hands and knees looking for the dark spots on his black carpet. He grabbed Newton’s arm and started to pull him back. Tony may hate the guy, but Damien didn’t need to go to prison right now for murder.

     Newton glanced at Candon in surprise. Yes, he was annoyed with the bloke. Pissed as hell that his nose and several of his fingers were now probably broken, but in all honesty, Jared thought he probably deserved all that. In some situations he tended to open his mouth and say whatever he wanted without thinking about the consequences, which had led to the fight. Surprisingly though, he didn’t mind Candon. The bloke knew how to fight. But what surprised him now was the fear he saw swimming in his green eyes, and the fact that Candon was trying to draw him back away from the now seething man crouched on the floor. A moment later Jared knew exactly why Candon was looking like death was knocking.

     Damien shot to his feet and suddenly Jared found himself staring down the barrel of a gun. A very nice gun. “You got blood on my carpet!” he screeched, his eyes swirling wildly.

     “You said the gun is empty,” Jared pointed out. “What are you doing?” _and do you know how sexy you look right now?_ Jared blinked stupidly when that sudden and currently useless thought flashed into his mind. Now was not the time for his gun obsession to cloud his mind when Damien was looking so unhinged.

     “There’s a bullet in the barrel,” Damien stated, his voice shaking with anger. “What are you going to do about this?” he motioned to the stains.

     Jared looked around. Caleb continued to lounge back in the couch and wasn’t paying any attention to them anymore. He was currently concerned with the sports news showing on the flat screen. Mai sat beside him with a textbook in her lap, mumbling about the stupidity of boys. Jared knew she was talking about the fight and not about the fact that there was a gun being pointed at him. Why should that bother her when she’d been the one to go get the gun from Damien’s room in the first place? And Tony was just standing there, glaring. Didn’t look like he was going to do anything.

     “You lot really are crazy,” he laughed freely then. “I can’t believe I’m in this situation. Here.”

     “Stick around, man,” Caleb murmured without taking his eyes off the screen. “‘Aint seen nothing yet.”

     Damien glared over his shoulder at his friend. “Newton isn’t sticking around anywhere near me!”

     Jared grabbed Damien’s wrist and yanked the marooned haired man against his chest before twisting the gun out of his hand. “I’ll fix your bloody carpet. And don’t ever take your eyes off me when you’re threatening me with a weapon. I’ll win every time.”

     “Fix it how?” Damien asked, his eyes wide in surprise, trying to ignore the press of Jared’s chest against his own.

     “By fixing it.” Jared checked the gun and found Damien had been lying about there being a bullet. “Liar.”

     Damien backed away from Jared and glared at the floor. “I lost Shane. Don’t know where he is…”

     “Why don’t you tell me what the hell had him disappearing?” Tony snapped. He gritted his teeth in frustration when no one was forthcoming with information.

     “Caleb!” he yelled on his way to the door. “You and me, man. You and me. You’re going to get yours.”

       Mai snickered as the door slammed shut and her boyfriend winced. “That’s what you get for bringing Damien’s attention to the blood on the floor.”

    

* * *

 

Shane spent more than an hour walking around the city before he aimed for Sheera’s house. By the time the house came into view, all Shane wanted to do was slip into a coma until morning. He was five houses down and was kind of not surprised to see Tony’s car parked outside. A hand appeared from behind the hedge Shane was walking towards and flicked a cigarette out into the street.

     “Can’t believe you took off like that. Just from something a stranger said to you,” Tony said as Shane passed the hedge and came into view.

     “I was just thinking,” Shane replied before sitting on the low wall next to Tony.

     “What did he say?” the brunet asked flatly. Shane didn’t have to look at his face to know Tony was angry. And he was probably angry with him and Newton.

     “He asked about that fight I got into. In shitsville. He asked me…” he glanced down at Tony’s hands which gripped the low wall in a death grip. Noticing the new swelling, Shane finally looked at his boyfriend’s face. “Fuck man! Did you fight him?”

     Tony stood when Shane tried to touch him and pushed his hands far down into his pockets. “And you thought leaving without telling anyone was a good idea?”

     “No big deal. I wasn’t feeling it, so I left.”

     “Feeling it? Feeling what? Did you think it was too much work to just tell me you were leaving?”

     Shane laughed to disguise the growing unease in the pit of his stomach. He didn’t like that Tony had pulled away from him nor did he like the defensive manner Tony was taking with him. “What? Do I need to your permission now for everything?”

       “Nothing about this situation is funny. I want to know what’s wrong with you.”

     “I’m good, Tony.”

     “Right… fine.” Tony turned and started walking off. Shane just stood there and watched him get into his car and drive away without another word. Shane blew out a pained breath as he sank down onto the yard wall, dropping his head into his hands and wondering what the hell had just happened.

    

* * *

 

Two days passed in which Tony and Shane didn’t see or talk to each other. Shane had kind of fallen into a depressive funk. He spent most of his free time running as that was the only thing that could make him feel any kind of better. On the second night, Sheera was headed home from work, driving through the neighborhood, and came upon Shane running. Pulling along beside him, she immediately noticed the grim expression on his face. This was the first time she’d seen him in the two days as well, since she’d been busy with school and work.

     “Hey Shane! Didn’t know you ran at night.”

     Shane slowed down to a walk. “Don’t usually.”

     “I, um… I heard from Mai and Damien. Seems I missed some things the other day.”

     “What exactly did you hear?” he asked and stopped completely to face her. She motioned for him to get in. It said a lot about his mental state that he immediately did so.

     “I heard that guy was over again. Caused some problems.”

     “He didn’t mean to start shit. I know that much. And T-Tony’s been itching to get in a fight with Newton.”

     “Mai said it was intense. They’re well matched. And because she seriously thought they were going to kill each other she pulled a gun on them.”

     Shane’s eyes widened. “Excuse me? A gun?”

     “Yeah, that’s right. Only way to get them to stop fighting. Tried everything to get them to stop, but only that worked.”

     “What the fuck was Mai doing with a gun?”

     “It’s Damien’s. Keeps one locked away in his room,” she answered with a shrug. “Has a lot of stuff locked away actually.”

     “It’s unnerving you say that without batting an eye.”

     “Shane, you haven’t been around all of us that long. You’ll learn.”

     “What else did you hear?” he finally asked after they’d parked and were walking up the path to the door.

     “Why don’t you tell me why you left? Did you and Tony get into a fight?”

     “Not now, Sheera,” he muttered as they entered the house. “Going to shower.”

     Sheera watched him bound up the steps before pulling out her phone and calling Tony. “He’s at home now. You should come over.”

     _“No.”_

“Why does he look so alone? What happened? He’s hurting, Tony!”

     “ _It’s not my fault if he doesn’t want to talk to me. It’s not my fault he just walks out without saying anything. I’m not going to beg him to talk to me. He never does!”_

“Tony…”

_“Gotta go. Talk to you later.”_

Sheera sighed. She made one more call before going up into the bathroom where Shane was already immersed under the water.

     She walked right up to the shower and poked her head passed the curtain. “What happened with Tony?”

     “WHA- SHEERA!” Shane grabbed the curtain and wrapped it around his middle. “You can’t just walk in on a person!”

     “We’re family. It’s alright.”

     “NO! It is NOT all right! We’re not little kids. Not babies forced to take baths together anymore. Get outta here!”

     “Shane, calm down,” Sheera laughed as she plopped onto the toilet seat. “You’re gay. No need to be modest here. Besides,” her gaze dropped down to his covered middle, “I saw everything. Nothing to hide.”

     “Fuck you!” 

     Sheera cackled gleefully and wiggled on the cold, hard, and uncomfortable seat. “Oh how I love you, baby cousin. Really I do.”

     “You’re not going to leave, are you?”

     “Nope!”

     Shane groaned in frustration before closing the curtain, pressing each end tightly against the slick wall. Sheera let him calm down a moment before speaking again. “Tony says you don’t talk to him. What’s that mean? You guys talk. Shane?” she prodded when he was silent two seconds longer than she could stand.

     “I’m not used to being in a relationship where it’s okay to talk about emotional stuff. I kind of get thrown off when Tony hints that he’s fine with it. I never expected that from a guy like him…”

     “And this is something you need to talk about with him.”

     “He left…” Shane whispered but she heard him and thought a change of subject was in order. She did not want Shane to start crying.

     “So how was the Haze on Friday?”

     “It was alright until Hudson showed up. Punched me, punched Damien, and then he got the shit beat out of him by Newton. It was great.” Shane laughed then. “Damien was turned on by the end of it.”

     “Turned on by that British jerk? Seriously?”

     “Yep. I think he has a thing for jerks who know how to kick major ass.”

     “Damien can’t control himself when it comes to guys like him. Maybe that’s why he hates Newton so much,” Sheera mused.

     “You know, I’d begun to think the same thing.”

     When Sheera heard the front door open and close downstairs, she grinned and approached the shower, “tell me what happened with Tony. You slept with him, didn’t you?”

     Shane pressed an arm against the wall to rest his forehead against it. “Yeah.” There was no point in trying to deny it. She already knew. But damn, he wished she hadn’t brought that up. He couldn’t handle visions of the weekend swimming through his head at the moment. Didn’t need nor could he handle it. He was fairly sure he had fucked up whatever he and Tony had been creating between them. That had been pretty obvious when Tony drove off. But sure enough, her mentioning it brought his time with Tony to the front of his mind. The bathroom was silent save for the running water and those thoughts continued to run through his mind for the next few minutes.

     “And? How is my very best friend in bed?” she inquired.

     “Get out of the bathroom already!” he yelled in desperation.

     Sheera grinned and pulled back the curtain. She caught a look at his erect dick a moment before he could cover himself. “Must be good,” she chuckled.

     “GOODDAMMIT, SHEERA! GET OUT!”

     Sheera sat back down on the toilet and wiggled her fingers at one of her favorite queers. “I retract my earlier statement. You have a lot to hide.”

     “As if I’d take that as a compliment coming from you!” he snapped. Shane was just calming down when the curtain was wrenched back a third time. “DAMIEN! What the fuck? BOTH OF YOU GET OUT!”

     Damien perused Shane’s body slowly and grinned wickedly as he brought his cell to his ear. “Ooh, Tony. He must have just been thinking about you. He’s hard and dripping!”

     “Okay,” Shane said numbly, in a state of permanent shock and humiliation. “I hate you all.” He grabbed a towel, furiously wrapped it around his waist, and then stormed out of the bathroom. He slammed the door of his bedroom with such a force that it sent vibrations through the house.

     “Is that really Tony?” Sheera asked, pointing to the cell in Damien’s hand.

     “Hmm?” Damien blinked and returned his gaze to Sheera. “Oh yeah.” Lifting the phone, he found the line was dead. “It was.”

     “Bet this goes one of two ways,” Sheera muttered as she turned the running shower off. “Either you’ve just made things worse between them, or-”

     “Or he’s on his way right now to kick my ass for peeping.”

      “Why’d you do that, Damien? I didn’t tell you to call him. Did you know Tony was here the other night? I think something happened,” She muttered quietly as they went downstairs. Damien immediately went to raid the fridge.

     “Yeah, I talked to Tony before you called me. Um… so Newton said something to Shane on Sunday that really bothered him and he took off. Tony was really worried when he found Shane had left without saying anything. And he got angrier when it was apparent Newton and I both knew why Shane left. To top it off, when Tony caught up with him, Shane acted like nothing was wrong. Wouldn’t talk to him.”

     “Oooooh….”

     “Yes, so I think it’s our duty to get them to face each other before a year passes along. You know how stubborn Tony can be. If he thinks there’s no trust, then that’s it for him. And he’s mainly pissed off because he got scared when he found Shane gone without a word. The guy’s nuts about cutie.”

     “I know…”

     “They got blood on my carpet, She! Blood!” Damien whined as he opened a soda can.

     Sheera rolled her eyes. “It’s black carpet, queer. So what?”

     “Since I was not the cause of the spilled blood, I find it unattractive and dirty.”

     “You are so weird,” she laughed at his annoyed expression and stole his soda. “I’m sorry to have missed that fight though. Mai said it was fantastic! She said it was like a pair of alpha dogs tearing each other up.”

     Damien looked away and cleared his throat. “Glad I missed it.”

     “Wish someone would tell me what started all this?”

     “Remember what happened to me when I was fourteen?” he asked quietly. “Those four bastards tried to do to that to Shane. Only he was lucky enough to get away. He got away, She. Don’t go ballistic right this second.”

     Sheera unclenched her fist and sucked on the deep gouges her nails had pressed against her palm. “How are you- Damien?”

     Understanding, Damien took her hand and entwined their fingers. “I’m happy Shane got away.”

     “But you-”

     “I have someone else to worry about. Besides, that was in the past, right? Can’t change the past. I’m over it. You know that. Though I’d like to know how Newton found out about it.”

     “I understand Tony’s thinking, why he’s pissed. But how can anyone expect Shane to just come out with that? Of course he’s not going to want to talk about it. They just started seeing each other…”

     “That’s why we’re the mediators, sweetie. To mediate.”

     “But how? They’re going to be butt heads and brood separately forever!”

     Damien frowned. “We’ve stuck our noses into this already. We should tell Tony. He’ll take care of Shane after that.”

     “Good plan. Only you’re going to tell him. I don’t want Shane mad at me even more than he already is.”

     Damien snorted. “He was pretty mad at us. Oh, but it was so worth it. Cutie has a luscious body. Should have snapped a photo.”

     “Oh sure. That would have gone down well.”

     “You know, I don’t think we have to worry about Shane and what happened to him.”

     “What do you mean?”

     “He didn’t freak out when he saw me. I mean, he freaked out. But in a normal way. And he’s not letting what happened keep him from moving forward. He’s not afraid of relationships.”

     The kitchen door opened then and Tony stood in the doorway. His green eyes were narrowed and blazing. “What was that on the phone? What the fuck was that?!”

       Damien scrambled out of his chair as his heart jumped to his throat. Good God, but Tony was ready to murder someone. “Sheera!” he cried in fright before ducking behind her.

 

* * *

 

He was getting a job tomorrow. Privacy was the fucking key here. And obviously there would be no privacy at Sheera’s house. Shane had never been so furious. He wanted to kick the wall. Throw the lamp on his bedside table against the door. Throw the bedside table at the window… He would have done one of those things. But once again, this wasn’t his place and he didn’t think Aunt Rose or Uncle Rich would be too pleased with him if he did that. He was getting a job, and then he’d get a place of his own… and he’d probably have to start to separate himself from his friends if this thing with Tony was really over… Shane groaned and threw an arm over his eyes.

     He lifted his head off the pillow when the doorknob began to rattle. The door was locked, but whoever was on the other side didn’t seem to get the hint. The doorknob continued to rattle.

     “GO AWAY!” his shoe thudded against the door as his shout came to an end. “FUCKING PEEPING TOM!”

     The door opened a minute later and Tony walked in. Shane said nothing as he shut the door and dropped a hairpin onto the desk.

     “You guys rob banks, don’t you?” Shane snorted and rubbed his closed eyes. “Hair pins and firearms… what next?”

     “Shane-”

     “Man, I don’t think I can take anymore… what do you want?” he snapped. He rolled off the bed and aimed for the door. Tony’s presence inside the room was making it difficult to breathe, made the room seem smaller than it was. Why was Tony here? “D-dammit,” he whispered as he passed Tony and hated that his voice broke.

     Tony blocked Shane’s path, hooked a finger into his clean white t-shirt, and slowly drew his boyfriend to him. He watched those blue eyes widen and very nearly let go. But Shane’s hand suddenly falling over his stopped him.

     “What do you want?” he asked again, this time without the anger. The brunet answered by covering his mouth with a deliberate slowness. Tony’s lips were like feathers over his, while the pressure of his hands against his back was solid and hard, but in no way trapping. The warmth seemed to calm him even as his body shook from the onslaught of want roaring through.

     “Bank robbers?” Tony inquired after the kiss. He pulled Shane’s back against his chest and slid down the door to sit on the floor.

     “And pervs. I forgot to say perverts.” Shane dropped his head to his knees, half relieved that Tony was here. And still upset as well. “Why’d you drive off like that?”

     “Why’d you walk out like that?” Tony reiterated and then dropped his forehead onto Shane’s shoulder, “I was worried, brat. Why won’t you talk to me?” he spoke the last question kind of desperately.

     “It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just… The last guy I was with… we never talked. He only wanted one thing from me. I’m just used to not being wanted for anything other than sex. Guess it wasn’t really any kind of a relationship.”

     “What idiot would treat you that way?” Tony demanded heatedly.

     “…he taught Chemistry at my high school.”

     To say Tony was floored was an understatement. “Shane… you had an affair with your _teacher_?!” he laughed when Shane didn’t reply. Shane peeked over at him when he continued to laugh. He looked surprised and Tony stopped laughing. “Hey, it’s nothing to be ashamed about. And you know what, it’s his loss and you deserved better.”

     “I broke up with him a few months before school ended. He didn’t take it very well. And he was really pissed when I came out. Guess he was afraid I was going to out him too.”

     Tony was grinning still. The fact that Shane had the balls to get involved with a teacher at his school. But he could understand why Shane had been hesitant to tell him that and his surprise by Tony’s reaction. He had probably been afraid to be judged. And he could also now understand why Shane kept their conversations light. He’d expected Tony wouldn’t want anything deeper and Tony would be happy to dispel that crappy assumption. They were _together_. He wanted nothing less. This wasn’t just sex and he told him so.

     “That kiss…” Shane whispered. “They told you, didn’t they?”

     “I was worried before that. I know you. You don’t just take off without saying anything under normal circumstances.”

     “It’s no big deal. Newton only surprised me when he guessed and I started thinking… I meant it when I said I was fine. But when Newton started talking about it… I freaked, okay! But there’s no need to treat me like an eggshell. I just wanted to be alone for a while.”

     “Unfortunately you’ll never be rid of Damien.”

     “Yeah,” Shane blushed. “I did notice that. Doesn’t he understand the meaning of privacy?”

     “How much of you did he actually see?”

     Shane grinned as he stood and walked a few feet away, enjoying the jealously he heard swimming in Tony’s voice. “You know… I can’t remember.”

     Tony jumped to his feet. “Bullshit!”

     The track star studied his boyfriend and made a low hum of appreciation. “You’re really hot when jealous, Tony. Did you know that?”

     “And you’re a fucking tease!”

     Shane grinned and cocked his head, “wanna check to make sure I haven’t been touched?”

     Seconds later they tumbled onto the bed. “Not an eggshell?” Tony whispered against his mouth.

     Shane’s eyes darkened and he stripped off his t-shirt. “I’m tough, Tony. Don’t think otherwise.”

     “We’ll see about that. I’m going to make you scream,” the brunet promised. “I love it when you scream.”

    

* * *

 

     Damien’s ear was plastered against the door when Sheera found him.

     “What are you doing?” she hissed. Damien hurried over and covered her mouth.

     “Shhh! Oh my God! Oh my God! They’re hot! Seriously, come and listen,” he began tugging her to the door. “One minute of listening and I swear you’ll want to go fuck yourself.”

     “No!” she yanked her hand away. “No, Damien-”

     Her friend was already back at the door, kneeling on the floor with his cell in hand. He pressed a button then turned the screen on the floor before pushing it under the door.

     “What are you doing?”

     “Video camera.”

     Sheera rushed over and tried pulling him away, only to stop dead when she finally heard their voices. Her ear somehow ended up against the door after that.

     “Fuck, Shane! Jesus…. Oh God…”

     Damien snickered. “Sounds like he’s dying. And enjoying it—dammit, my fingers won’t fit. Sheera, your fingers are smaller. Make sure it’s sitting up properly.”

     Sheera opened her mouth to refuse, and then paled when she heard footsteps on the stairs. Grabbing Damien and wrenching him from the door, they ran to the landing, eyes flying wide when her father stopped short at their sudden appearance.

     “DAD! HEY!” Sheera yelled far too loudly. “You’re home early!”

     “Richie!” Damien cried with the same amount of enthusiasm. With anyone else, Damien’s screeching would immediately have made anyone suspicious, but Rich was well acquainted with Damien and his exuberant enthusiasm. He’d long ago become used to it and therefore didn’t think anything was out of the ordinary.

     The three on the stairs heard a loud thump come from Shane’s room, followed by low laughter from Shane.

     Rich hardly paid the noise any attention as he was still looking at Damien’s hair. “Changed your hair again? Looks… good.”

     “Liar. You know it looks fantastic!”

     Rich laughed and shook his head. “Missed having you over. Need to catch up. Let me just go get changed, put my work away…”

     Shane chose that very moment to gasp loudly and Tony cursed. Sheera mentally yelled at them. Not only were they having what sounded like fantastic make up sex, but also they were going to continue on even though they knew her father was home. Bastards! And now her father was eyeing the door to Shane’s room.

     “Is Tony here as well?” he asked.

     “Rich!” cried Damien. “You have to show me this shotgun you scared Tony with! Please? Please, please, please, please-”

     “All right, all right. Lord, Damien…” and Rich allowed Damien to drag him downstairs. As he was walking away to the basement, Damien motioned for Sheera to go and fix the phone. She flipped him off and went to sit in the living room.

     Upstairs Tony was sprawled on the floor, on his back with a quietly snickering blond laying over him, pressed tightly against his slick chest. A strangled moan left him when Shane shifted again, taking Tony’s hard cock further up his ass. “You’re going to get me shot. Rich is going to shoot me and it’s going to be your fault.”

     Shane’s head raised, blue eyes sparkling from under his damp hair. “I’ll bring flowers to your grave.”

     Tony’s hands dropped from around Shane’s back, sliding down to spread his boyfriend’s ass to roughly thrust up into him. “Brat,” he hissed.

     Shane sat up and rocked his hips slowly, watching Tony’s eyes roll back as his head hit the floor with a soft thump, hips moving in sync with his. “We should probably… hurry.”

     Tony released Shane’s ass and sat up before wrapping an arm around his waist. “Come here.”

     Shane happily obliged and sighed into Tony’s mouth when he felt fingers slide into his hair. Despite the fact that he agreed with Shane, Tony kissed him slowly and took his time spreading his hands over the slender body of his lover. When Tony felt Shane melt in his arms, he quickly changed their positions, easily moving Shane to his hands and knees.

     As he pressed into Shane again, the track star finally saw Damien’s phone propped up against the door, the camera side facing them. “Tony!”

     Tony looked and swore before leaning over Shane to lick his neck. “Take care of it…. In minute.”

     Shane bit his lip and tried to hold back his screams as Tony drove into him with abandonment until they came hard and fast.

     Tony dropped back down to the floor and pulled Shane against his chest, panting heavily against Shane’s neck. Only a few minutes passed before they heard footsteps approaching. “He comes in here with a gun, I’m using you for a shield.”

     The footsteps stopped right outside the door, and after a moment of silence, Tony scrambled away from Shane to the door when he realized it wasn’t Rich. Fingers appeared and deftly snatched the cell phone out before he could reach it. “Fuck! Damien!”

     The sound of Damien’s evil laughter echoed around the room and hallway.

     Shane grabbed the towel he’d thrown on the floor after his shower and wrapped it around his waist before lounging back on the bed, grinning widely as his boyfriend rushed around in panic; hopping around, racing to pull on his boxers, then his pants and shirt. Nearly falling several times while doing so.

     “Shit, shit, shit…”

     “Tony.”

     “I’ll get it. Don’t worry.”

     The front door slammed closed. Tony went to the window and was just in time to see Damien slip into his black Jag. He spun around, grabbed his shoes and ran for the door. Shane didn’t know whether to be amused or annoyed that Tony ran out without saying anything to him. But before he could make up his mind on that, Tony ran back in and jumped on him.

     “Sorry,” he said before crushing his mouth over Shane’s. Tony pulled back slightly, decided he wasn’t finished, and pulled Shane up for another kiss. “See you tomorrow,” he said after, and crawled off the bed.

     “But you’re working after classes and I have practice.”

     “I’m seeing you tomorrow,” Tony reassured as he left. He jumped down the stairs, and hurried to the front door.

     “Tony, where-”

     “Why’d you let him do that, Sheera?!” he demanded in exasperation as he pulled the front door open. His reply was a snort. He ran out and down the pathway, thanking God Rich had probably been in his office, and stopped when he saw Damien was still sitting there in his running car, staring wide eyed at his lap. Tony cursed and sprinted, heedless of his bare feet. Damien caught his movement and peeled out into the road, leaving a cloud of smoke from the spinning of his tires.

      “DAMIEN!!!”


	9. Episode Nine

     Shane scribbled furiously trying to keep up with taking notes. The Tyrant talked a mile a minute, spewing out facts, one right after the other without pause. How the hell did he expect the class to get everything down when he talked so fast? Beside him, Connor wasn’t even trying to keep up. He had his face planted in his hand, eyes blearily opening and closing, and Shane was sure any moment now his head was going to slide off and hit the desk with a bang. He only had one or two lines of notes.

     American History finally came to a close, and as the class packed up, the professor looked over the class. “There will be a test next time.” His smile was twisted. “Thanks to those of you who were not paying attention to the lecture.”

     “Man…” Connor moaned as they left. “It was a mistake taking this class first thing in the morning. My mood will be down all damn day now.”

     “He was lecturing over four chapters,” Shane grumbled as they headed to Advanced Algebra, “and he didn’t even pause to breathe. Don’t think I got everything.”

     “Going to have to study tomorrow.”

     “That’s for sure.”

     “Cutie!”

     The track star frowned and picked up the pace, ignoring Connor’s, “hey, man. What’s wrong?”

     “Shane! Hold on!”

     No way was that about to happen. He was still pissed about last night. The bathroom and then the whole peeking in on him and Tony having sex. No, he was definitely not ready to talk to Damien. He hadn’t even wanted to think about what had been caught on that phone. He was afraid to ask.

     “What was that about?” Connor inquired when he sat beside him. Shane caught Damien standing at the door, looking completely upset. Shane’s eyes lingered long enough to notice Damien had colored his hair pitch black and gelled up in all different directions before turning away to look at Connor.

     “You’re ignoring the millionaire?”

     “He pissed me off.”

     “Why’d he change his hair again?”

     “Um... Probably cause he has an important meeting later,” Shane guessed as he snuck a look at the door. Damien was gone. “He likes changing it. Depends on his moods.”

     After that class, he and Connor went to the courtyard for lunch where they met up with Mimi and they found an empty table amongst the crowd of lunchtime students. Another girl was with Connor’s girlfriend, and she was introduced as Stella. She kept staring at Shane so much that he started to become uncomfortable with the scrutiny. She was pretty enough; dark red hair, shoulder length, long eyelashes, pretty brown eyes, heart shaped mouth. And she smiled nice enough. And that was probably the problem. The way she was smiling shyly at him…

     He turned to Connor, and the guy was obviously trying hard not to laugh. Apparently he thought it funny when girls started to like guys who were gay. Thankfully Mimi pulled Stella into girl talk and the redhead stopped her blatant staring and settled for peeking at him from time to time.

   “Think she’s got a crush,” Connor whispered.

     “It’s not funny.”

     Connor nodded, “a little. Anyway, I heard you got into a fight at the Sage Haze.”

     “No I didn’t. If I get caught fighting I’m off the track team.”

     “But I heard-”

     “A team mate of mine came up to me and started talking jealous shit. He started the fight, and I never hit back.”

       “Heard he got his ass kicked by Shrod’s security.”

     Shane nodded, “yeah, and that was entertaining. But now it’s going to be worse between me and Hudson.”

     He was startled when the back of a chair was suddenly shoved up against the table beside him and someone straddled it.

     “Brat.”

     Shane grinned happily, unable to help himself. “Asshole.”

     Tony returned his smile and snatched up the bag of chips in front of his boyfriend. He leaned back to look at Connor, who was watching Tony curiously, along with Mimi and Stella. “Tony,” he introduced himself.

     “Connor,” they shook hands, and then dawning lit Connor’s face. “You’re _that_ Tony?”

     Tony’s grin widened when Shane started blushing. “Yup.”

     Connor laughed at the blush before he motioned to the two girls sitting across from them, “that’s Mimi, my girlfriend, and Stella.”

     Shane was a little annoyed that the girls were blatantly staring at his boyfriend in an appreciative fashion. Stella more than Mimi. Though he couldn’t really blame them. Tony was gorgeous after all. The girls said their quiet hellos and Tony replied in kind. Then Tony stood and lightly pulled on the ends his hair.

     “C’mon. Only have a few minutes.”

     Shane nodded and asked Connor to watch his bag while he was gone. Connor nodded and watched Shane and Tony walk off.

     “You know him, Connor?” Mimi asked.

   “Not really. But Shane’s always talking about him.”

     “He’s really cute,” said Stella with a sigh.

     “Which one?”

     “Shane. Do you think he has a girlfriend?”

     Mimi laughed, knowing about Shane’s preferences. “No he doesn’t.” Then she sighed as well. “But that Tony guy is gorgeous.”

     “Lucky for me and too bad for you two, Tony is Shane’s boyfriend. Yeah, that’s right,” he went on when Stella’s eyes widened. “So sorry to disappoint you.”

     “Why’s it always the nice and good looking guys that are gay?” Stella murmured.

     “Eh? You saying I aint good looking?”

     Mimi laughed. “If that were true I wouldn’t be your girlfriend. Can’t stand ugly idiots.”

     “Very funny.”

     “I thought it was,” Mimi grinned at her boyfriend and then looked off to where Shane and Tony had begun to walk off. “At least they look good together. Hot boys together are… HOT!” She laughed at Connor’s surprised expression.

     “What? We’re totally fan girls!” she proclaimed and Stella nodded.

     “And did you see Shane’s blush? So cute!”

     Connor snorted. “I’ll be sure to tell him that.”

     The two currently being discussed took themselves off somewhere private. “Now it’s you who looks like the bruised fruit,” Shane said as they stopped. “Newton beat your ass bad.”

     Tony glared at his bruised knuckles. “Whatever, brat. I think I broke his nose. You don’t see my nose broken, do you?”

     “Whatever.”

     “Damien called.”

     “Whoopee…”

     “He’s upset you won’t talk to him.”

     “Did you get it back?”

     Tony glanced away and rubbed the back of his neck. “No, he got away.”

     Shane scowled and crossed his arms. “And yet you’re not mad at him at all.”

     Tony shrugged. “He’s my best friend. I’m used to this shit.”

     “I’m not!”

     “It’s not like he’s going to go show it to anyone…”

     Shane’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. Why was Tony looking guilty? “Show what? Tony, what did he get? How many pictures?”

     Tony cleared his throat and withdrew his phone and located the received message. “Damien sent it to me this morning,” he murmured as he pushed play, making sure to put it on mute as well.

     Shane took the phone when offered and vaguely noticed Tony shifting closer in order to block everyone’s view of him. Five seconds later, the track star had the phone clutched against his chest, eyes wide. “It’s not a picture!”

     Tony couldn’t help but chuckle at the cute look of absolute disbelief on his boyfriend’s face. “No. In fact that vid is ten minutes long. I'm going to upload it to my computer so we can watch it together later. What do you think?”

     “IT’S NOT A PICTURE!!” 

* * *

 

“Damn idiots,” Damien muttered as he briskly walked away from the meeting room. “If it were up to me, I’d fire them all. Expecting new businesses to be able to work out on their own… morons.”

     Once in his office, he sat behind his desk with a weary sigh and opened the laptop sitting in front of him. He never even spared a glance for Newton when the man entered from his adjoining office a minute later without so much as a knock. It was only when Newton crossed the office to stare out of the window did Damien look at him; eyes roaming over the tall form dressed in a gray business suit. The exact shade as the bastard’s eyes.

     Damien scowled and pushed his fingers into his hair as his eyes traveled and then fixated on Newton’s ass. The prick didn’t deserve such a fine ass! He pulled his eyes away just as Newton turned to him and began messing up his sleek black hair, making it stand on end as it had been before he came into work. He ignored Newton’s study of him and kept his eyes firmly on his laptop screen.

     “What’s wrong with you?” Newton suddenly demanded.

     “I’m sorry?” Damien finally looked up and met Jared’s gaze.

     “You’ve been,” Jared paused, staring intently at him, trying to find the right word. Finally he announced, “flat. Ever since you got to the office.”

     “How’s that any concern of yours? In fact, what are you doing here? Once again I must remind you we are not friends. Why have you dropped the snobby British routine? And,” his next question was the one he really wanted answered, “why do you pretend to be so snobby anyway? You weren’t like that the second time you _broke in_ _to_ my apartment. Why do you play?”

     Newton shrugged as he slipped into the chair on the other side of the desk. “Same reason you do,” he indicated the changed hair. Damien sneered and then mumbled something under his breath. Jared grinned and leaned forward, “what was that?”

     “I said,” Damien glared at him, “that you could be yourself and still people would be afraid to do anything less than what you say.”

     “Is that so?”

     “You have that ability, except with me. I don’t give a rat’s ass what you say.”

     Jared ignored that last bit. “That may be so. But being professional in a place like this will get better results. Can’t have them thinking I don’t know what I’m doing.” Damien remained blank faced. “So… Tell me why it looked like you were going to throw those three out of the window a minute ago.”

     “No. And get out.” Damien glanced at his watch, saw it was nearing four. “Maybe I have enough time to catch him before he leaves,” he mumbled and stood. He wasn’t going to get any work done until he’d talked to Shane. He really hadn’t thought the kid would get so mad. Tony hadn’t really… then again. It’s not like he hadn’t done outrageous stuff like that to Tony before.

     He grabbed his cell from his drawer and looked at the screen. There was a voice message.          

    “ _IT’S NOT A FUCKING PICTURE!_ ” Damien quickly pulled the phone from his ear, grimacing as he was sure his eardrum was busted. But he could clearly hear the rest of the message even though the phone was held several inches away from his head. “ _I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU TAPED US HAVING SEX! I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!!”_ Click.

     Damien was torn with being amused and being sincerely worried that he had really fucked up his friendship with Shane. The guy sounded pissed as hell.

     “You actually taped them shagging?” Jared asked, astonished.

     “With the phone. Slipped it under the door,” Damien murmured distractedly, and then grinned to himself. “It was hot! You should have heard…” Damien blinked, completely shocked that he didn’t feel the least bit uncomfortable admitting stuff like that to the man across from him.

     Jared stood. “That phone?” he pointed to the one in his hand. Damien nodded and Jared plucked it right out of his hand. “I want to see.”

     “What? No!” Damien nearly jumped over his desk in his panic. As it was, he sprinted around and chased after the bastard, who was nearly half way cross the office aiming for his adjoining door. “Give it back! Tony will kill me! I told him I would delete it.”

     “And yet you haven’t,” Jared lifted the phone into the air when Damien caught up with him.

     “Well of course not! But-“ Damien growled and started to jump to reach the phone as the man was far taller than he was. Jared just grinned and navigated to the videos.

     “First one, right?”

      “What the fuck are you doing?! It’s two guys! Men!”

     “I’ve seen guys shag before.”

     Damien stopped jumping and stared at him with wide eyes, “really?” he was more interested in hearing this then paying attention to what Newton was doing with his finger. Which was currently pushing play.

     “There’s so much you don’t know about me,” Jared murmured as he watched the video. They were on the bed, though from where the phone was sitting, only Shane’s torso and head was visible, but it was quite obvious what he was doing. Enthusiastically riding Tony.

     Jared laughed when Tony heard Sheera and Damien yell hello to someone and he jerked in panic, pushing Shane off before accidentally rolling off onto the floor. “Smooth, Candon.” He raised a brow when Shane immediately crawled over Tony- ignoring his boyfriend’s half-hearted protests that they should stop- and quickly picked up where they left off as if they’d never left the bed. “Never would have thought Shane was a wild one…”

     Damien made a noise and finally grabbed the phone away. “You’ve sealed my doom by looking at it. Forget Shane! Tony will rip my head off.”

     Jared laughed as he turned away and opened the adjoining door to his office. “Stop being so dramatic.”

     “Wait!”

     Jared paused and cocked a brow at the now black haired man. He couldn’t help but admit he liked it when Damien dyed his hair dark colors. It always gave the crazy heir appropriate shadows around his face.

     “Um…” Damien didn’t for the life of him know why he wanted to ask what he wanted to ask. He knew it was ridiculous, pointless, and not good for the wellness of his mental state. And also, he hated Newton. Abruptly he turned around and headed back to his desk. “Never mind, Newton. You may go,” he said with a careless wave of his hand.

     _Oh right_ , thought Jared. _I’m just going to leave with you looking like that._ “What’s been wrong with you today?” he asked as he approached the desk and rested a hip on the edge. “You’re not being your usual spoiled, overdramatic, and flamboyant self.”

     “That video. I don’t know if Shane’s going to forgive me for that. And… it’s just me. That’s how I am. If he can’t take that, then we’re probably not meant to be friends cause I’m not sorry at all that I did it.”

     “He’s just one kid.”

     “But I like him!” Damien whined. “He’s great! And in case you forgot, he and Tony are dating. He’s not just one kid.”

     “How could I forget? I just watched their porn.”

     “Yeah and how’d that make you feel?” Damien asked with twinkling eyes. “Did it turn you on?”

     Jared smirked. “Come over here and check,” he teased. “You know you want to.”

     Damien’s response was not what Jared thought it would be. The spoilt millionaire paled. Every last drop of blood left his face. Where was the come back? “I have to go see Shane,” Damien murmured and quickly spun away from him.

     “Coming with you.”

       “No!” Damien tried shaking that inexplicable feeling off and wondered if Newton had read his mind; because when he’d stopped Jared from going back to his office, that had been exactly what he wanted to ask. But now… he was feeling so unstable. It probably wasn’t a good idea to hang out with Newton longer than he had to.

     “You were going to ask me to come anyway.”

     “Was not.” _He can read minds! How embarrassing!_

Damien hurried out of his office, though he knew he was stuck with the presence of the one man he didn’t need to be around. Newton was as stubborn as he.

     Jared grabbed Damien’s elbow when the shorter man tried to veer off towards his Jag. “I’m driving.”

     The next several minutes were spent with Jared standing silently with his legs spread and arms crossed over his chest while Damien ranted and raved, stamping his foot and gesturing wildly with his hands.

     “You got it, Newton?!”

     “I’m driving.”

  

* * *

 

By the time they arrived outside the Allmsted training facilities, Damien was feeling much better. Much of that had to do with his success in pissing Jared off.

     “It’s so sad,” Damien said as he shut the Porsche door, “you drive like an old lady.”

     Jared made an annoyed sound at the back of his throat as he tore off his business jacket and threw it to the back seat before slamming his own door shut. “And you can drive a man to the bloody drink!”

     Damien cackled and practically skipped ahead. As Jared followed, he couldn’t help but smirk. The annoyance had been worth it to see Damien acting like his regular self. He still did not know what had scared Damien in the office. It wasn’t the first time he’d made a comment of that sort, and now that Damien knew he was only playing around, he shouldn’t have reacted like that. It was a bloody mystery to him. And that look on Damien’s face. The absolute terror he’d seen in the blue eyes of his co-worker…

     They found Shane working his legs off in one of the weight rooms. Damien ran over and dropped to his knees beside the weight bench, pulled his hands up in prayer form and begged forgiveness. Though, like he had said to Jared, Damien never once apologized because he wasn’t sorry for doing it. Jared stood back at the wide doorway, leaning against it with his arms crossed over his chest, sharp eyes scanning around for any sign of trouble. He caught it sitting two work benches over from Shane.

     “Take your fucking homo fights somewhere else!”

     At once Shane paused in his lifting, glanced at the man working out two machines over, and then went on. When Damien stood and slowly turned, Shane grabbed his hand. “Ignore him.”

     Damien twisted around and beamed at Shane. “You talked to me!” he then threw his arms around the sweating freshman and snuggled his face into Shane’s neck.

     Jared could see Shane was trying to stay mad, but after only a few seconds, a snort left him and the corner of his mouth turned up. He’d guessed correctly about him then. Shane was the type to get angry quickly, but also the type to shrug things away just as fast. Here’s someone who couldn’t hold a grudge. Or maybe, someone who didn’t like to hold grudges.

     “Okay, that’s enough,” Shane pushed Damien away. “Got sweat all over your suit.”

     “I don’t care.”

     Hudson mumbled something else, but Shane and Damien ignored him. They could ignore him because they knew he wouldn’t start shit. Not where they were. Not with the track coaching staff levitating back and forth between work rooms. Shane wouldn’t get into it for that reason, and Damien would try and control himself for Shane. But Jared didn’t have to ignore it. Especially not when he caught the runner looking at both Damien and Shane with a look that promised retribution at a later time. Jared thought he might as well curb that now instead of having to take Hudson to task later.

     “How’s your nose? Hurt much?” he asked snidely after approaching Hudson. “Sure it’s hard to breathe through. I could be persuaded to fix it for you.”

     “Get the fuck away from me, man.”

     Shane went back to pushing weights. “I’m still mad at you,” he murmured when Damien turned back from watching Jared intimidate Hudson. “Why would you do that?”

     Damien sat and crossed his legs right there on the dirty floor. “Because. It’s unacceptable. I like doing the unacceptable. And the sounds you two were making… it was just too good of an opportunity to let pass, cutie.”

     “Delete it.”

     “But… it’s hot,” he whined. “And oh, God, Shane! You’re fucking sexy!” he laughed when Shane blushed. “Even Jared liked it and he’s straight, you know.”

     Shane was standing in the next second with eyes wide with mortification. “You let him watch it? WHY? Tony swore you wouldn’t let anyone see it!”

     “He stole my phone!”

     “Fuck, man!” Shane stormed away in a huff. He glanced at Newton as he did, caught the quirked eyebrow aimed at him and flushed brightly. God, he’d seen him… “Coach!” he yelled. “Going running!”

     “Ten minutes, Williamson! Fast break! Then go home!” a man yelled back from a nearby room.

       Jared was shaking his head as he walked out with Damien. “You should learn to think before speaking.”

     “Ditto, bastard.” Damien spun around and flicked the bird at Hudson before they disappeared into the hall. “Anyway, now that I know Shane still loves me, we can go back to work! I’m driving.”

     “It’s my car,” Jared pointed out.

     “I’m driving! You suck! Driving like a turtle may be the norm in Britain, but here, in the US of A, we have something called a gas pedal and it is not illegal to use.”

       “How many speeding tickets do you have out right now?”

       “Completely irrelevant, Newton. Furthermore…”

     Kenny stared at where Shrod disappeared, his teeth clenched and his eyes narrowed, burning with a vicious light. Kenny wasn’t a fucking pussy, and he wasn’t about to lay down like a dog for Shrod and his fucking bodyguard. And Williamson. He’d been humiliated. He wasn’t about to let some pussy and his bitch get away with it, and he wasn’t about to let his number one spot slip through his fingers to be handed to some faggot freshmen. He consoled himself with the knowledge that he’d soon be getting them back for that. Hurt one and he would hurt them all. 

* * *

 

Tony stifled a yawn as he dragged his feet into the empty club, nodding at Brutus when the bouncer gave him a salute. When Brutus shut and locked the door behind him, Tony understood he was the last one to have arrived.

     “Damien! I hope you know I would rather be somewhere else right now!” he called out as he crossed the empty dance floor. Shane’s bed, for instance.

     “Up here!”

     Tony looked to find Caleb grinning down at him from the third floor. When he got up there, it was to see not only Caleb and Damien there, but also Newton had come along. Tony suspected he was going to have to get used to seeing him. Caleb had explained why Damien’s co-worker seemed so intent to lodge himself into their lives.

     Damien glared at Jared just as Tony stepped onto the landing. “Not one word, Newton. I’ll cut your dick off.”

     “Once again I remind you not to threaten me. You’ll end up getting hurt. Besides, you think Shane didn’t tell him?”

     Tony’s scowl was good enough of an answer.

     “Tony, I swear I didn’t do it on purpose!” Damien cried when Tony slid into the booth beside him and poked his finger against Damien’s temple.

       Jared smirked at the green eyed man, “you have your hands full with Shane, don’t you?”

       “It would be in your best interest to forget what you saw,” Tony replied darkly after accepting a beer from Damien.

     “Man, what are you guys talking about?” Caleb asked.

     Damien grinned and bounced in his seat. He was going to say because it wasn’t fair to leave Caleb in the dark… and it would be fun to piss Tony off again. “Shane and Tony made porn. Wanna see?”

     “That’s not what happened,” Tony snapped. “Damien shoved his phone under the door and taped us. And surprisingly that stupid phone captured a lot. And then he went and showed this bastard the video…”

     Caleb shook his head at Damien. “Not cool.”

     “No,” Damien agreed and then pulled out his phone. “Wanna see? You know you want to.”

     “No thanks.” The black man then snorted when Tony grabbed the phone and tossed it over his shoulder to land somewhere in the darkness behind them.

     “Hey!” Damien cried.

     “At least I didn’t throw it over the railing.”

     “You know what I said Saturday night?” Jared said to Tony with a smirk that put him on edge. “About you only thinking with your dick when around Shane… now I know why. Looked good, Candon. Real good.”

     Tony jostled the table as he tried to shoot to his feet. But Damien stopped his best friend before he could jump over the table to try and pound Jared into the ground. “Jesus, Tony. You know he’s only baiting you. The guy’s straight.”

     “He’s nowhere near as straight as you wish he was!” Tony yelled. “And you’re blind if you don’t see it already.”

     “That’s…. That’s ridiculous!” Damien responded with a trembling laugh. The three around him rolled their eyes. And then Jared saw Damien’s face had paled as it had earlier in the day. Damien’s eyes were full of panic too. “T-there’s no way. I-I refuse to believe it.”

     Tony at once knew they’d taken his best friend to a breaking point. He did his best to push his anger away. “Okay, Damien. You’re right,” he said and sat.

     “Can we get on with why we’re here,” Caleb asked; in a hurry to change the subject and pull Damien’s mind away from whatever was about to make him revert to a panic stricken child.

     “We’re here about Carter,” Jared said, more than happy to go along, although he had no idea what was going on. The other two seemed to know exactly what was wrong with their friend. It’d be nice to know too.

     “Yes. That bastard,” Damien growled, anger coloring his face. The three around him gave mental sighs of relief.

     “I don’t know how we’re going to get him and his friends,” Tony murmured. “It’s not like they live close by.”

     “You want to drop it?” Caleb asked. He was still unaware of what those guys had tried to pull on Shane.

     “Fuck that!” Tony slammed his fist on the table. “They tried to-” he cut off and looked at Damien in worry.

     “They tried to rape him, Caleb. You think Tony’s going to leave it alone.”

     Caleb looked struck dumb for a second and then he pinned Damien with a flat stare. “Are you planning on…” he cut a glance at Jared.

     “Thought about it.” Damien suddenly had a switchblade in hand. Jared blinked. Where the bloody fuck had that come from? “But then I thought it would be better to punish them some other way. Besides, there are four of them. They all go missing and people are going to take notice more quickly than with just one going away forever. And… they never succeeded. Shane fought them, didn’t he?”

     “He’s tougher than they gave him credit for,” Tony murmured. “Okay, so that brings us back to how, when, and what.”

     “I think I have an idea with how,” Caleb announced. “But it’s going to cost you, Damien.”

     “Um, hello! Loaded rich kid here. Have a personal plane and everything.” His eyes went to the man sitting across from him. “My own personal club even. _Mine_.”

     “Okay, Damien. Understood. No need to keep repeating it.”

     “Just want to make sure you understand, _Jared_.”

     “I understand it’s my job and your father’s orders. You have a problem with it, then go and pester your father as you usually do when you want to act like a spoiled brat.”

     “I don’t complain to Daddy about stupid stuff that I can handle myself… Stupid. And I don’t need you sniffing around my heels looking for mistakes. I don’t make mistakes!”

     “You don’t make mistakes? Must I remind you that you ruined my car?”

     “I did not!”

     “You broke the right hand mirror.”

     “Your steering is off! Besides, it doesn’t mean the car is ruined.”

     “So if I were to go and hit one of your mirrors with a baseball bat, you wouldn’t say the Jaguar was ruined.”

     “I will hit you with a baseball bat should you leave even one fingerprint on my baby. Anyway, consider it payback for getting blood on my carpet.”

     “I already said I’d take care of that!”

     “When? Next year?!”

     During their interaction, Caleb and Tony sat silently, eyes going back and forth between their friend and Newton, both of who looked comfortable enough to keep on with their banter.

     Finally Tony had had enough. “So Caleb, what’s your plan? Obviously these two assholes don’t give a fuck.”

     Damien cried out with indignation and then pouted when Tony glared at him. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

     “So we all take some time off of work on a weekend and fly there. We’ll take them on their home court.”

     “How much time? I don’t want to lie to Shane about this.”

     “I’ll lie for you,” Damien and Newton replied in unison.

     Caleb shifted. “Okay, now you two are scaring the shit out of me.”

     “All four attend the local college in Freemon. We already know where they live, where they hang out, and what they do for fun… Shouldn’t take too long.” Jared cast a glance at Damien. “Unless someone goes crazy…”

     “These fucktards are amateurs, sweetheart,” Damien said, pointing the tip of his switchblade in Jared’s direction. “It’ll take minutes. So I doubt I’ll have time to go insane as you are so rudely implying.”

     Caleb snorted. “It only takes seconds for you to turn into a cat on crack.”

     Jared laughed at the accurate description.

     “All we need to do,” Damien went on with a flat look at Caleb, “is decide on when.”

     “There’s a three day weekend coming up,” Jared replied.

     Damien grinned at him. “That’s a great idea. We could-”

     “Hold up for a second,” Tony raised a hand, confusion swimming in his eyes as he looked between his best friend and Newton. “When the fuck did you two become friends?”

     “I still hate him,” Damien defended haughtily. “Not friends.”

     “You hate me even though I let you drive my car?”

     “Oh, that’s right!” Damien grinned childishly. “He drives like a sixteen year old taking a driving test! Never goes over the speed limit. It was so annoying.”

     No one mentioned he’d completely ignored Jared’s question.

     Jared suddenly found himself the receiver of twin intense stares while Damien slipped out of the booth to find his phone. Though a moment later, Jared’s attention was quickly caught by the sight of Damien lowering to his hands and knees in order to reach for his phone under a table. Jared didn’t pull his eyes away from the fantastic sight until Tony cleared his throat. Loudly and with a raised eyebrow.

     “I’ve got to run to the office,” Damien called once he had it. “Be back in a minute.”

     Tony waited until Damien had disappeared through the door. “You can’t…” he wasn’t exactly sure what to say. Only that some sort of warning should be put out there. “Damien’s… But-”

     “That made no sense,” Jared murmured.

     “Thank you, Captain Obvious!” Tony snapped back. “I’m trying to say… Damien’s not going to change… but maybe you don’t understand exactly what he’s capable of, what he’s like. And when you do see…”

     “I’m aware of what he’s capable of. I know what he’s done in the past. I know of his… personalities. I’m not judging him. If I did, that would make me a hypocrite. I might have had certain negative ideals about him when we first started working together, but those ideals have changed.”

     “You can’t go back to how you were with him. Being the bastard you were,” Caleb continued after catching on to what Tony was trying to say. “If this is some sort of game… Damien would be better off with you ignoring him if you can’t stay on good terms with him. He enjoys bantering with you. Pretending he hates you. He’s just…”

     Tony pinned him with a glare and jabbed a finger hard against the table with each work spoken next. “ _He’s not stable_.”

     Jared was staring to get annoyed. “How many bloody times do I have to say-”

     “You said it was your job, man.” Caleb reminded him. “That you had to do this, involve yourself because of Shrod. You might not be able to handle-”

     Now Jared looked entirely too amused. “Oh believe me, I can handle Damien Shrod the III. I’m not someone who says something that I don’t mean,” he stopped and smirked at Tony, “unless it gets an amusing reaction.”

     “Fuck you. That’s my boyfriend you were looking at.”

     “And like I said… real nice. You should take it as a compliment.”

     “Are you gay?!”

     “Tony,” Caleb placated.

     “No, it’s a serious question. I’ve seen him stare at Damien’s ass on more than one occasion. Just now too!”

     “Well damn, man. I never noticed…” Caleb looked at Jared, obviously waiting for an answer.

     “That’s cuz you’re straight. So are you, Newton?”

     Jared picked up his beer bottle and studied the condensation. “I don’t like labels.”

     “We should never mention this bit of information to Damien. Ever,” Caleb said. “Not after the way he’s been acting lately.”

     “Yeah,” Tony agreed.

      It was apparent to Jared that these two knew exactly why Damien was stubbornly denying the truth about him and why their friend suddenly started to panic at the weirdest times. “And why are you going to keep your otherwise loud mouths closed now?”

     “It’s none of your business,” Caleb said firmly and it really pissed Jared off that these younger men were in no way intimidated by him.    

* * *

 

     Damien Harrold Shrod II was scanning over Monday’s reports. He did not like what he was seeing and at nearly two in the morning, this was putting him in a black mood. Heads were going to roll for this incompetence. When it came to business, the head of Shrod Corporations was an immovable entity; often times inflexible. He was harder than nails and had a toughness about him that impressed as often as it intimidated. Shrod’s temper, especially concerning his business, was something to shy away from. You did not want to make careless mistakes with Shrod at the helm. His harsh nature was well documented and once he made a decision, no one in the world could rock his resolution.

     Shrod shoved the reports away and picked up another. This one from his son’s club. A small smile slowly crept across his face as he took in the immaculate report. Numbers up all around. Business was booming at the Sage Haze. As usual.

       Now Shrod was usually a very cold man… except with anything having to do with his son. He cared about Damien more than his entire enterprise, which was why, despite some of his VP’s objections, he was still putting his son up for takeover one day. They felt Damien was too unstable. They feared that woman’s insanity was hereditary. And it was to some degree, and yet Damien wasn’t the cold heartless monster his mother was.

     Damien was unstable, yes. Clinically so, but Shrod had already been working on that. He just had to make sure Damien was well cushioned when he took over the business. With a smirk he set aside Damien’s report and looked off towards the darkened office window. He already had several players positioned in that regard. And now, he was working with the very last cushion. It was all very convenient that he had a soft spot for his son’s friends as well.

     “Do you never go to sleep, sir?”

     Shrod’s black mood had been seeping away with thoughts of Damien, his well-qualified heir and now he was able to smile at the man whom he’d grown another soft spot for. Not only did he care for Jared Newton, but Shrod also respected the hell out of him. Shrod studied Jared as he came forward, and lifted an amused brow at the annoyance on the young man’s face as he finally answered the question.

     “Not when there are other important things to be done. Have a seat, Jared.”

      Jared slipped into a chair and remained quiet as his boss studied him from behind the desk. Shrod looked amused. Of course he would find hilarity with his obvious tense frustration. Mr. Shrod was many things, and being very perceptive was just one trait Jared knew the older man had perfected.

     “How is it?” Shrod finally asked.

     Jared gave him a wry grin. “Are you sure you want me to do this? Because I should tell you right now I nearly took him over my knee a dozen times.”

     “Over your knee to do what?”

     Yes, he was very perceptive.

       “They’ve made arrangements to go after those boys.”

       Shrod nodded and mentally laughed. Jared was the only one of his employees whom he allowed to slink off the current topic. Usually not answering a direct question would be cause for serious repercussions. “And you?”

     “Will be going with them. Despite what they say, it’s liable to get ugly.” As he usually found himself doing around the older man, Jared relaxed and lay his elbows on his knees, shoving his fingers into his hair. “They tried to sexually assault Shane- the boy who Damien’s taken a liking to.”

     “Yes, I know about Williamson. He and Tony have a relationship.” Shrod’s eyes darkened, “you say he was nearly raped?”

     Jared nodded though it was needless. “So of course, the three are over emotional with this one. I expect Mai and Sheera will be angry to be left out of it.”

     Shrod laughed. A full gutted laugh that had Jared raising an eyebrow at him. “Those girls will be left out of nothing. I know them as well as I know the boys. And Sheera… she will not leave revenge for her cousin up to others. Watch out for that as well.”  

     Jared groaned. “Am I to be a babysitter for all of them?”

     Shrod’s amused look disappeared, “when did I ever say you were to be a babysitter?”

     Jared looked confused. “Pardon me for saying so, but protecting Damien and babysitting him seem the same to me.”

     “He already has four babysitters,” Shrod pointed out.

     “Five now with Shane. That kid is very good at controlling him. Damien listens to him… mostly.”

     “Does he?” When Jared nodded and then frowned, Shrod leaned forward, suspicion of some sort swimming in his eyes. “Something going on with my son and Williamson?”

     “At first you would think so, but after spending time with them all, its obvious Shane has eyes for no one but Tony and I think Damien has taken Shane under his wing like a little brother. Not to mention that your son’s head is so far up his arse he sees nothing!”

     Shrod grinned and sat back, amused by the conviction in Jared’s voice at the end there. Conviction brought on by jealousy maybe? “What exactly do you want him to see?”

     Shrod watched one of his most trusted employees close up on him slightly. Jared tended to do that when anyone tried getting too personal with him. “I made the mistake of calling Shane a boy toy of Damien’s when we first met,” he said instead of answering the question. “Tony knocked me out cold for that.”

    “You really called him that?”

     The look on Jared’s face turned sheepish. “Yeah, and… I called his friends common too.”

     “Jared,” Shrod muttered and shook his head. Though he understood. Jared had been walking into unknown territory, and usually at times like those, the young man tended to put up shields. Never allowed his true personality out until he had a firm grasp of the situation and the people around him. It was understandable. Jared had a lot to hide.

     “Thanks, by the way…” Jared went on with a glare.

     “For what?”

     “For failing to mention Tony’s fighting ability,” Jared said as he pointed to the bruising around his face. Luckily his nose wasn’t broken, but he had been sure it had been. “It was bloody embarrassing being knocked out so easily by someone five years younger. If you’d have told me, I would have been more prepared.”

     Shrod snorted. “You’ve seen him, Jared. The boy takes pride in keeping fit. He’s not as self destructive as Damien, but Tony has a temper and when he was younger he used to love falling into it. I suspect a lot of that had to do with his father. Even still, that temper is still there.”

     “I noticed he’s easy to bait.”

     Shrod laughed. “And you do like to bait, don’t you. Been doing it to Damien for the past two years.”

     Jared shrugged. “I don’t think I would have done it had I known how much it bothered him.” He shot another frustrated look at Shrod. “Your son is a bloody idiot. Taking every little thing I say seriously.”

     “There isn’t much he does take seriously when it comes to people. Wonder why you’re different?” Shrod questioned with a small grin that said he too was in on the secret.

     “He ruined my Porsche,” Jared mumbled. “Swerved right into a pole and took the side mirror out.”

     “Jared.” Gray eyes lifted to meet flat blue ones. “Can you do this job or not? Do you want to?”

     “Yeah,” Jared nodded. “It’s not so bad. I like his friends. They’re a weird lot. A bit wild, actually. Insane. I hope you know Damien’s got a gun locked away in his flat. A beauty, that gun is.”

     “I gave him that gun.”

     This surprised Jared. “Why would you give someone so unstable a gun?”

     “He wanted it.”

     “You know, this has been bothering me. Damien is spoiled left and right, by you, his friends, perfect strangers… you really think it’s good for him?”

     “Probably not,” Shrod grinned and stood, “but that’s why I chose you. You are not going to go out of your way to spoil him. You’ll go against him when it’s needed. And that’s exactly what he needs, even if he doesn’t realize it.”

     “I-Shrod, the more time I spend with him… There’s this protectiveness I have and its more than…” Jared looked away, not understanding why he admitted that aloud, to himself and to Shrod.

     “There’s a difference between spoiling and protecting. I suspect you two will come to blows at some point over your unwillingness to spoil, but that’s your problem.”

     Jared stood as well and glared. “And when he comes crying to you that I broke his pretty nose… Will I find myself out of a job?”

     Shrod barked out a laugh as he rounded his desk. “You break his nose, he’ll find some way to break your neck. Don’t mess with his face, Jared. You do so at your own risk. And as long as you don’t betray this corporation, myself, or Damien- his friends included- then you have nothing to worry about. I can’t lose you. Your business skills as well as your past learned skills are far too good to throw away to another undeserving company. If he deserves a beating, then give him a beating.”

     “Love being called a tool. Makes me feel brilliant.”

     “You’re one of the best tools.” Shrod dropped a hand on Jared’s shoulder and led him to the door.

       Jared looked at Shrod from the corner of his eye. “Are you ever going to tell me how you found out about me?”

       Shrod gave him a dismissive pat on the shoulder. “We’ll talk more at Friday’s meeting. And don’t forget the reports on the warehouses. I want those reports first thing in the morning.”

     Jared nodded as he stepped out; knowing Shrod might never answer that particular question. He paused and turned to see Shrod walking back to the desk. “Get some bloody sleep for Christ sake’s, old man!”

     “Jared,” Shrod answered warmth seeping into his rough voice. “Almost seems like you care.”

     “It’s unavoidable,” he laughed.

       As he was leaving the C.E.O of Shrod Industries and the founder’s son called out to him one last time. “I think it’s time I met Shane Williamson. Bring him on Friday.”


	10. Episode Ten

The next Friday after classes, Shane headed out to find a job. He really wanted his own place. And it wasn’t just because of the lack of privacy or that fact that he felt slightly guilty for having sex right there in his aunt and uncle’s home, but it was the fact he’d wanted his own place for a couple of years now. Ever since he’d turned sixteen. Shane wasn’t sure exactly why he was so desperate to fly from the nest. All he knew was that he was determined to make it happen.

     So now he was hopping off the bus in the shopping district, perusing stores for wanted signs. Allmsted was a big city, but the center of town was the university district shared with the big business district. He counted no less than four buildings belonging to Shrod, and that was only on one block. Shane snorted. He knew this was only half of the buildings belonging to Damien’s father located within the entire city. Not only that, but Shrod was international. They had companies all over the world. He thought it kind of weird that he’d made friends with someone whose name was emblazoned on buildings. At times it was weird to think about, but whenever he was with Damien, none of that bothered him.

     Shane noticed a HELP WANTED sign in the window of the café he was passing. He backtracked to the tinted glass door and it opened just as he stepped up to it. His view of the inside was obscured by the tall man standing just inside. The man had a wicked smirk on his face.

     Shane felt his face flame as he looked into the cool gray eyes of Jared Newton.

     “Just the bloke I wanted to see,” Jared murmured, the smirk making way for an actual smile as he could clearly see the kid was embarrassed still about that video.

     Shane balled his hands into fists. Why the hell did he have to run into Newton? Now of all times and places. And was the knowing smirk necessary? Shane wasn’t really embarrassed Newton had seen him naked. Guys saw each other naked all the time. No big deal. What really bothered him was the fact Newton had seen him being so uncontrolled with Tony; in the throes of passion, FUCKING! Riding Tony wild like he was a fucking cowboy.

     “Um… I don’t really have the time-”

     “Looking for a job, correct?”

     Shane blinked away the embarrassment, “how’d you know?”

     Jared indicated Shane’s clothing. Nice black slacks and a blue dress shirt. “I can spot a job seeker a mile away.”

     “Good for you.” Shane made to go around him into the café but suddenly found his arm in a tight hold.

     “You don’t want to apply there. They pay minimum wage and the employees aren’t treated well.”

     “Then what the hell were you doing there if you know its run so badly?” he asked as he pulled his arm away.

     “Not dining, I assure you.” Jared took his arm again and began to head down the sidewalk, pulling Shane along.

     “Mind taking your hand off me! Stop pulling me around!”

     “Work hard?”

     “What?”

     “Are you a hard worker?” Jared repeated after stopping beside a white Porsche with a busted side-view mirror. He tried not to wince at it.

     “Yeah.”

     “Do you have problems taking orders from superiors?”

     “No.”

     Jared nodded before rounding the Porsche and unlocking it. “Get in.”

     “You’re not a superior. Not going to follow your orders.”

     Jared cocked a brow and slid into his car, again trying hard not to look at the damaged mirror beside him. “Get in. I’ll be sure to make it worth your time.”

     “Um…” Shane looked away, now more wary than ever. There were several ways that statement could be taken. “No thanks.”

     “Christ! Just because I saw Tony shagging you to pieces doesn’t mean I want to fuck you now. Get in the fucking car! I’ve a meeting in ten minutes!”

     “Shut up!” Shane hissed as he quickly slid into the passenger seat. “Didn’t have to yell that out for everyone on the sidewalk to hear!”

     Jared just laughed as he pulled away from the curb.

 

* * *

 

     “Complete these. Once you’re done, take the papers to the lady at the desk.”

     Shane groaned in frustration and dragged a hand down his face. “I’ve already told Damien I don’t want any favors. I don’t need someone to hand me a job.”

     “You’re not the only applicant.” Jared tapped the papers. “If I were handing you the job you wouldn’t need to fill this out and I wouldn’t have wasted time explaining it to you.” Before Shane could complain further, Jared turned and walked away.

     “Hold up!”

     Jared sighed and begged God for patience, “yes?”

     “What do I do when I’m through?”

     “How long do you think you’ll be?”

     Shane furrowed his brow as he skimmed through the five papers in front of him. When he stopped at the third sheet and his eyes lit up with excitement, Jared knew he’d made the right choice. Especially when Shane picked up the pencil he’d been given and immediately set to work. “Not sure now,” he muttered and then Jared knew the kid wasn’t paying attention to anything but the questions on the sheets.

     “If you’re done within an hour, have the receptionist call me. After an hour I’ll be gone. Though I would prefer it if you could finish before I leave.” Shane remained quiet. “Did you hear me?”

     “Yeah sure,” Shane muttered. “Hour. Call.”

     Jared snorted and turned away, heading for the elevators. Shane had no idea how easy he was to manipulate.

     Half an hour later, Jared received a call from Reception. He was not expecting it to be about Shane. “Put him on,” he told the receptionist. “Done already?”

     _“Piece of cake.”_

“You didn’t rush through it did you?”

     _“Man, I take that stuff seriously.”_

Jared was more than surprised. But he would hold judgment until the test had been graded. “Right, then. I have to stay another thirty minutes before moving on. Stay and wait for me.”

     _“But hey! Wait-”_ Jared cut the connection and returned to business, knowing Shane would wait.

     When he returned to Reception, Shane was slouched in his chair, glaring at the ceiling, his legs thrown out in front of him. Obviously he didn’t care about where he was because the scowl on his face dared anyone to fuck with him at that point.

     “I’ve wasted time that I could have been using to find a job!” he hissed when Jared finally came forward.

     “Don’t whine. Let’s go.”

     Shane grumbled all the way down to the parking garage until his phone rang. Jared watched him pull it out and was one hundred percent sure it was Tony calling. Shane’s face immediately brightened; the annoyance of being pushed around instantly vanishing as he put the phone to his ear. Jared turned to unlock the car, ignoring Shane until he heard the kid’s tone drop. He removed his jacket and threw that along with his briefcase into the backseat. Turning around he saw Shane’s eyes had dimmed, and his lips were turned down, a frown growing.

     “Yeah, I know! Don’t know how he managed to… Um, not really sure… no, haven’t talked to Damien today… Hey calm down…. Didn’t meet up with him on purpose… You’re being a dick, Tony! I didn’t know Newton was going to show up…because he asked me to, asshole!”

     Jared shook his head as he approached. He didn’t need to hear the other half of the conversation to know what was being said. He grabbed the phone out of Shane’s hand. “Newton here,” he said as he watched Shane bristle in fury. The kid was cute when he was mad.

     There was a surprised silence for a few seconds before, _“what are you doing with him?”_ Tony finally demanded.

“Shane has an appointment with Shrod. I’m making sure he gets to it.”

     Shane’s eyes widened in surprise at this, but otherwise remained silent.

     _“Damien going to be there?”_

Jared chuckled darkly, “yes.”

     _“Listen, bastard-”_

     “Put your jealousy on the backburner. My eyes are firmly set on someone else.” And with that he broke the connection.

     Shane got into the car without having been told and by the sulk settling on his face, Jared was positive it was because Shane was too busy fuming over Tony’s dumb arse. Jared found it amusing that a bloke like Tony could get so jealous, so insecure… though, on the other hand he figured if he hadn’t baited the bloke so much about seeing that video on Damien’s phone, Tony probably wouldn’t be this aggressive when it came to Shane’s whereabouts and whom the freshmen was socializing with. Not to mention the incident that happened in Freemon. No doubt Tony was justified in that regard trying to keep his boyfriend safe. It wasn’t actually paradise in the city. Shane didn’t know it yet, but Tony sure as hell did.

     “He’ll cool down.”

     “Fuck that! I’m not his property!” Shane suddenly sat up straighter and Jared could practically see Shane pushing thoughts of his boyfriend away, as if that were some sort of punishment for Tony. “Am I really meeting Damien’s dad?”

     “Yes.”

     “I’m not really dressed…Why?”

     “He demanded to meet you. Everyone knows you don’t say no to Damien Shrod, either of them. And don’t worry about what you’re wearing.”

     Shane remained quiet for a few minutes and then suddenly asked, “who?”

     “Who what?”

     “You said your eyes are firmly set on someone else. Who?”

     “Mind your own bloody business,” Jared replied evenly. Shane laughed.

     “That’s rich coming from you. Practice what you preach man.”

     “Tony’s right. You are a brat.”

     “Fuck him and fuck you!”

     “Oh, sorry. Did I pinch a nerve?”

     “Is it Damien? You want Damien don’t you?”

     “Listen, kid. I was only trying to calm your man down. I’m not after anyone. Haven’t the time for that shite.”

     Shane shook his head and chuckled, “sure, man. Whatever. And I’m not a kid.”

* * *

 

Damien met them at the door. Shane was ogling the spread of the house before him. Fuck that, it wasn’t a house. It was a fucking castle. The front doors were huge! The gates to get in the place were even bigger and the security station was bigger than Tony’s apartment.

     “Shane! Yes! You’re here!” Damien exclaimed and tightly embraced him.

     “S’not like I had a choice. This guy totally bullied me,” Shane said, jerking thumb in Jared’s direction.

     Damien grinned at him before turning to Jared. “Meeting’s going to start in a few minutes. Daddy wants to see you before it begins. I’ll take Shane to my play room.”

     “Why don’t you tell Damien what kind of an arsehole his best mate is, Shane,” Jared murmured in amusement as he passed them to enter the mansion.

     “First you tell me who you’re interested in!”

     Jared continued to stride to the door, merely lifting a hand and flicking the teenager off.

     “What was that about?”

     “Nothing. Just trying to get on his nerves.”

     “And what about Tony?”

     Shane’s face lost all of the amusement he’d been feeling. “Nothing.”

     “You’re fighting again?” Damien asked in worry. When Shane scowled, Damien decided to drop it for the time being. He grabbed Shane’s arm and dragged him inside, leading him through the house, giving him a short tour.

       “This is your dad’s place, right?” Damien nodded. “How come you’re having a meeting here? I thought it’d been in an office somewhere, or in a hotel conference room or something.”  

       “It’s not really a formal meeting. A couple of VP’s are here. They’ve been with the company longer than I’ve been alive and are no strangers to the mansion. Father likes his comforts, and the house intimidates them.”

     “Ah. Yeah, um… I wouldn’t exactly call this a house.”

     Damien waved that away and continued on with the tour, but as soon as he left Shane in the entertainment room with the instructions to make himself at home, Damien pulled out the phone and called his friend.

     “WHAT DID YOU DO?”

     _“Why are you shrieking in my ear?”_ Tony asked in a voice that suggested he was calm. But Damien knew him well enough to hear that not everything was well in his best friend’s world. But of course he already knew that.

“You did something to cutie!”

     _“Didn’t do anything.”_

     “Liar.”

     _“Whatever. Just keep Shane there tonight. Coming over later.”_

     Damien grinned widely. “Awesome! Sleep over!” if he could he would have clapped his hands together.

_“God, Damien... we’re twenty-five, ya know.”_

     “Call the others too. We’ll have a party.”

     Tony snorted out a laugh. _“Fine. Later.”_

     “Ta ta!”

     “A party?” inquired a voice from behind. “Aren’t you a little too old for such nonsense, Damien?”

     Damien plastered a smile on his face as he turned around to face one of his father’s associates. The man made him want to vomit. Damien always felt this every time he came face to face with the man and he didn’t know why. Had no clue really why he felt his skin crawl anytime he was in Mr. Tok’s presence.

     “A-aren’t you a little too young to think that,” Damien finally responded, pushing down the nausea and unexplained anxiety. His response obviously angered the old man, which had Damien grinning coldly and feeling much better.

     “One is never too old to party,” Jared suddenly said from beside, “unless they are dead. Even than I expect Damien to party in the afterlife.”

     Mr. Tok didn’t seem to like that very much, and a smirk played around Jared’s mouth as he watched the man walk away.

     Damien tried. He really did. He tried so hard to keep the genuine smile off his face, but it burst passed his restraints without warning. And then he tried to keep from turning to the man beside him and showing him that smile. He was an utter failure. Jared looked down at him and the huge fathomless pits of granite widened… Fuck! Why’d the British jerk have to go and say something so perfect? Something that Damien would have said himself. _Fuck! Fuck! FUCK! I need Mai!_

While Damien was mentally freaking out, Jared’s gaze had dropped down to his associate’s mouth, and as soon as Damien realized this, his face paled and a shocking panic filled his blue eyes. Jared immediately shifted away, wanting to give Damien some space. This was becoming annoying. Just what exactly was it about him that made Damien act this way on occasion?

     _No_ , Jared thought suddenly as he watched Damien quickly escape down the hall, it wasn’t simply on occasion. It was usually when they shared any type of moment.    

* * *

 

Shane spent a lot of time on one of the long couches, sitting with his back straight as a rod and bouncing a knee in nervous agitation. He was about to meet Damien’s father. He was about to meet a very powerful man and he had no idea why. Why would Damien’s father demand to meet him?  

     The more important question… why had Tony started to be a complete prick recently? And on the phone he’d practically accused him of meeting up with Newton on purpose. Like something was going on with him and Newton. Shane pressed a hand against his bouncing knee and scowled at nothing in particular. He’d been ecstatic to get Tony’s call. They hadn’t seen each other in days- due to work, practice, and classes- so of course he’d been glad to hear from his boyfriend. And Tony had started out with a low seductive voice, and Shane was happy to flirt back, knowing they’d see each other that night. But then Shane had gone and mentioned Newton and Tony’s playfulness ceased to exist and he started demanding answers.

     Shane finally stood when he realized his fingernails were painfully digging into his kneecaps and he started to pace around. Damn asshole. He stopped pacing and scanned the huge room, snorting a little when he recalled Damien saying it was his little ole’ play room. “Yeah, whatever.”

     It wasn’t little by any means. The room was long and wide. Had a pool table, several old arcade games, a foosball table, a huge flat screen, and even a fully stocked bar. Complete with a long mahogany wood bar and bar stools, a mirror behind the bar and shelves of alcohol… Shane’s attention went back to the TV and when he spotted the game console, he started walking to the flat screen. Damien did demand he make himself at home.

     “Sir? Is there anything I can get you while you wait?”

     Shane spun around so fast he nearly fell, only to start breathing normally when he realized it was the butler. “Um…”

     “Perhaps you would like a beverage,” the butler suggested with a calm smile.

     “Oh, yeah. Thanks. Um, a coke, please.”

     “Right away, sir.”

     When the butler was gone, Shane turned back to the TV. “That was so weird.”

       Ten minutes later Shane was hunkered down in front of the TV with his soda, prepared to work off some of his anger by killing zombies and ignoring thoughts of Tony’s dumb ass. 

* * *

 

Shrod waved his son away when it was clear he meant to stick with him while he interviewed Williamson. “I’m not going to interrogate him, Damien.”

     “Please don’t. I think he’s sensitive right now. Maybe you should meet him at another time.”

     Shrod looked at him sideways, raising a sharp light brown eyebrow. “Stop nagging, son. Besides, you should be worried about what Jared is doing in the car garage.”

     “But, Daddy,” Damien whined. “You’ll scare him away!”

       Shrod laughed. “If you haven’t managed to scare him by now, then I doubt I’ll succeed in that.”

     “Well…” Damien’s face brightened. “Yeah! That’s totally true!” Damien flounced off after that, saying something about protecting his car from bastard brutes of the British persuasion.

     Shrod walked into the entertainment room where Shane was still in front of the TV, mumbling about dumb asses with his face contorted in anger. The mumbles were very telling. Obviously the young man was thinking of someone else’s face as he butchered the zombies in one of Damien’s favorite games. “Fucking Tony,” the boy muttered. Ah, so there was a lover’s spat. Shrod shook his head, wondering what the brunet had done now. Tony had the tendency to fly off the handle just as much as Damien did at times.

     He moved further into the room, silently studying Williamson. He didn’t look like a wiz kid, not really. But who was he to judge a book by its cover. He’d done that before with his own son and that had nearly cost him the most important thing he had. And if Jared said this kid had smarts, then he was inclined to believe him.

     Shane let out a sharp cry of rage when he was killed, and then slammed the controller down on the floor in front of him. Next moment he was bent forward with his hands in his hair. Shrod saw his fingers flexing, tugging painfully at his light hair. Then one hand dropped to race across his eyes and the boy took a trembling deep breath that clued Shrod in to the fact he was barely able to hold back tears. Now, this didn’t make Shrod think any less of him. Damien and Jared both suggested Shane was probably in love with Tony. And since they’d obviously had a fight… sometimes the hormones and emotions of teenagers could be overwhelming. Shrod remembered his own youth very well, and he certainly remembered when his own son was eighteen.

     Shrod finally cleared his throat to announce his presence. Shane whipped his head around, his big blue eyes going wide and just as Shrod imagined, they were a bit wet.

     “I’m- I’m sorry…” Shane quickly stood up. “Didn’t hear you.”

     “Yes, I saw that. Engrossed in protecting the dwindling human race from zombies.”

     Shane grinned nervously. The pain previously in his eyes had been pushed away and the only thing left was a curious nervousness that Shrod instantly liked. And he was impressed with how Williamson’s countenance changed so quickly. Meant the boy was quick; could easily navigate through situations and could push troubles down when he was needed in the here and now. Yes, he was very pleased with Damien’s new friend already and they hadn’t even had a proper conversation.

     “Damien Shrod,” he said when he was standing in front of the teen two feet shorter than himself, “a pleasure finally meeting you. I’ve heard much about you.”

     Shane immediately took a firm hold of his hand and gave it a hearty shake. “Same here- ah, I mean. I guess it’s a pleasure.”

     “You guess?”

     The boy actually blushed. “Well, I mean… Not sure why I’m here.”

     Shrod nodded as he turned and waved his hand to a plush chair. “Please, have a seat.” When Williamson was seated, Shrod began, “when I told Jared to bring you, at the time it was simply to meet you. But now there is another reason for this meeting. The employment test you filled out was faxed to Jared about thirty minutes ago. And he wants to offer you a job. Apparently you passed with flying colors. Did better than he thought you would.”

     “What kind of job?” Shane asked sitting forward on the edge of his seat. “It’d have to be part time.”

     “Yes, part time. You’re on the track team, isn’t that right? Phenomenal track record. And I’ve also heard you are at Allmsted with a scholastic Scholarship. Is that correct? You had the highest grade point average in your high school when you graduated. You were valedictorian, were you not? That’s very impressive.”

     Shane blinked at him for at least a minute. The man kept asking questions and then immediately answered them himself. What was the point of asking the questions if he already knew the answer? “Um, yeah.”

     “Yes, it would be a pleasure to offer you a job. We’re in need, though understand you’d be starting at the bottom, but that’s a perfect position to have when you’re working through school.”

     “Would it be in a lab?” Shane asked eagerly. “I mean, I know I wouldn’t be doing anything important, but working in a lab would be awesome! Figured it would be something to do with your labs, because that test I took was full of… Ah, heh. Sorry,” Shane murmured when he realized he was being overeager and slightly presumptuous.

     “I like your energy. Your enthusiasm will be well met within my corporation,” Shrod leaned forward and extended his hand once again. “Welcome to Shrod Industries.”

    

* * *

 

Damien bounded in only two minutes after his father departed. “Oh, so you’ll accept a job from Jared, but not from me!” he said with half a glare that did not meet his eyes.

     Shane shrugged. “Not my fault. I was bullied. And besides, if I can work in a lab, even if its being an errand boy, that’s great.”

     “Glad you found a job. Now tell me what happened,” he demanded as he stood in front of Shane.

     Shane shrugged and leaned back into the comfortable leather. “Not much actually. It was only five minutes with him. He’s kind of scary… but he also seemed nice.”

     “For the record, Daddy isn’t nice. He’s an opportunist of the worst kind. And I wasn’t talking about your meeting with him. I’m talking about Tony.”

     Shane looked away and chewed on his bottom lip for a moment and stared off at nothing. “I really don’t want to talk about it, Damien.”

     Damien didn’t like what he was seeing in cutie’s eyes. Whatever Tony had done was causing a deep gash. “Let’s play a game.”

     They hunkered down in front of the TV and as Damien set up the game, he looked at the boy from the corner of his eye and said, “he’s here, you know.”

     “Who?”

     “Your dumb ass boyfriend.”

     “I’m out of here.” Shane shot to his feet and was halfway across the room before Damien could blink.

     “Shane, wait! But we were going to have a sleep over party!”

     “I- I can’t, Damien. Sorry.”

     “Stick around! You don’t have to talk to him.” Damien grinned evilly as he turned back to the television, knowing how Tony would take to being ignored by his boyfriend. “Come on, cutie. Don’t run away. Are you going to let him ruin a good time?”

     Shane paused on the threshold. “That’s not really something a best friend would say.”

     Damien shrugged. “I’m sure whatever happened is his fault.”

     “You’re fucking right it is! He basically accused me of screwing around with Newton.”

     The next second saw Damien spread out on the floor, laughing his ass off. The picture of Damien on the floor rocking back and forth with his hands over his face lightened Shane’s mood considerably as he returned to his previous seat.

 

* * *

 

     Jared chuckled darkly as he left the massive car garage. Damien was in for a surprise. No doubt the surprise may end up getting him killed, but it would be so worth it to see the look on the man’s face when he realized his car had been tampered with. Stopping in the middle of the large driveway, Jared used a cloth to wipe the grease from his hands, only to look from his hands seconds later when movement caught his eye.

     Tony was walking by, making a circuit around the huge estate to clear his mind and was currently on the sidewalk running alongside the garage that held more than two dozen cars and motorcycles. Jared called out to him. Tony immediately stopped and pierced him with glare.

     “What do you want?”

     Jared shook his head in amusement and tucked the cloth into his back pocket. “Want a word with you.”

     “Where’s Shane?”

     Jared smirked even as he knew he shouldn’t purposely provoke the bloke who had a hot temper. “In my bedroom,” he answered, “sleeping it off. Wore him out, if you know what I-”

     Tony was on him in seconds. Jared managed to block the first two shots but the third punch connected brutally with his jaw. He hissed in pain and then managed to get his knee in between and kicked the bloke off and onto his back. Jared quickly got up and threw himself over Tony, smashing his fist against the side of Tony’s head. “Stupid arsehole. Falling for that shite!”

     Within the security booth, the long time security officers’ eyes were glued to one of the surveillance screens. “Damn. Wish we had some popcorn.”  

     The other guard, Stedmond, laughed. “Yeah. And some beer… who do you think? Newton or Candon?”

     Teddy, the first guard, watched the two fighting. Both guards were well acquainted with both men fighting as they were frequent visitors, but this was the first time they’d ever seen them interact. And what an interaction it was turning out to be! “Hmm… looks like Candon has more rage at this point.”

     “Yeah, but Newton’s a cold fucker. Just cause he’s not showing it doesn’t mean he’s not as into the fight.”

     “True,” Teddy said, then leaned closer to the screen. Suddenly he pointed at it, at a spot at the corner of the garage where a person was leaned against the corner watching the two fighting. “Who’s that?”

     Both guards were instantly alert, preparing to do their jobs if this was an intruder and they quickly focused the camera, only to relax a moment later. It was Damien’s father standing in the shadows. “It’s the boss. Is he grinning?”

     “No way. Boss doesn’t smile.”

     Back outside, unknowing that they were the entertainment for several people, Jared and Tony continued to battle it out. “Fucking liar!” Tony shouted, throwing a punch to man’s ribs above him. “Said you didn’t want him!” he threw another sharp jab and Jared fell off of him. They rolled around on the ground, Tony getting hit in the face twice, while Jared’s middle was getting pulverized. They finally came to a stop with Jared on the ground, holding Tony’s back against his chest by wrapping an arm around his middle and neck.

     “Calm the fuck down!” Jared yelled, tightening the chokehold when Tony continued to thrash around. “I wasn’t being serious! Shane’s been nowhere near my room! I don’t want him!”

     Tony shouted in rage, half from Jared’s words and half because he couldn’t get out of the chokehold. “Don’t believe you! You’ve been working with Damien for two years, and then we only started to see you when Shane moved here. Fucking bastard! I know what you want!”

     “I don’t want some eighteen year old kid!”

     Tony’s struggles stilled and his next words were nothing but ice. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean? What’s wrong with Shane?! He’s better than anyone _you’ve_ ever had!”

     Jared chuckled despite himself and despite the pain seizing his ribs. “After watching that vid, I might have to agree with you… Listen, this has been fun, but I’m in pain here. Can we call a truce for a moment and discuss this like civilized adults?” without waiting for an answer, Jared let go and Tony immediately rolled off of him to lay back in the grass. They both lay there panting and trying to ignore the injuries.

     “Shane’s not just some kid!” Tony finally said. “And he’ll shred you for saying it!”

     “He’ll shred you first after what you pulled today.” Slowly Jared sat up, wincing. “What’s your problem anyway? You can’t treat him like that.”

     Tony sat up as well, then moved to sit on his knees and dragged a hand across his bleeding nose. “Don’t talk like you know him.”

     Jared rolled his eyes and got up to stand over the idiot. “Part of my job is investigation. I’m very good at it. I know more things about him than you do. I know more about yourself than you do. And I know someone like Shane will take exception to being treated like a pet on a short leash. You get me? I don’t want your boyfriend. And Shane… you’ve got to be a goddamned blind man to not notice that he only sees you! That kid looked overjoyed to get that phone call and then you flattened him to a bloody pulp! Why? Because he was with me?” Jared smirked and held a hand out to help the other man up.

     “Shut up,” Tony murmured though he did allow Jared to pull him to his feet, and then snatched his hand back.

     “Like I said, I know about you too. Know you have trust issues. And I understand that this relationship is deep, which brings these trust issues of yours to surface, because Shane is a looker and everyone looks, which I’m sure you’ve noticed. But you don’t have to worry about me. I’m only interested in being his friend.”

     “Why are you being so open?”

     Jared shrugged. “I’m an honest bloke to those who deserve honesty, Tony. You and me, we’re rather alike. And besides,” he laughed. “I like you. You and the others. It’s not really just a job anymore to hang out with you lot.”

     Tony cracked a smile, ignoring the split lip. “Did we just bond?”

     “Hope so.” Jared turned and stuck his hand out. “It’s a bloody riot fighting with you.”

     Tony laughed, “yeah, alright,” and they shook on it.


	11. Episode Eleven

“I should dock your pay for fighting on the grounds, Jared. Dock even more for provoking poor misguided Tony here,” Shrod said as he stepped into the garage where the two had gone after shaking hands.

     “I’m not misguided,” Tony defended lowly.

     “You’re a jealous sod,” Jared returned lightly as he popped the hood of Damien’s black Jaguar. “And it’s not my fault he fell for that stupid taunt.”

     Tony scowled as he peered under the hood, in no mood to answer that. Soon Jared and Shrod joined him and the three started to discuss the car.

     “What did you do? I don’t see anything different,” Shrod murmured.

     “Two things. I made it so he can’t go past forty. And we all know how he likes to lay on the horn… I’ve messed with that too.”

     Tony started laughing, “Only up to forty… seriously? He’s going to kill you.”

     “And what did you do to the horn?”

     Jared turned to Shrod and grinned. “That ice cream truck jingle.”

     Shrod dropped a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “It’s been nice knowing you.”

     Jared snorted, “please, I can handle your son.”

     “Why’d you want to meet Shane?” Tony asked as they left the garage.

     “He’s managed to befriend Damien and as you know that’s a very hard thing to do.” Shrod then turned to Jared, “and he accepted the job offer. Williamson’s a very eager young man.”

     “Oh yes,” Jared shot a cheeky grin at Tony, “I have seen that.”

     “Dude, cut it out,” Tony practically growled. “What job offer?”

     Jared lost his amused look, “If you hadn’t jumped down his throat earlier, he would have been able to tell you himself. That’s why he was with me. I took him in to fill out an application, he took the test and passed, and now he works for Shrod… and for the record, you’re in deep shite. Hope you’re prepared to stay lonely for a good long while.”

     Shrod started to nod and both young men turned to him in question. “If you were a zombie, Tony, it’s guaranteed you’d be dead by now.” And with that encouraging news, Shrod nodded to both of them and turned away to head up to the second floor.

     Suddenly Shane appeared down the hall, falling out of a room as if suddenly pushed. He laughed while trying to keep from falling on his ass. “Geez, Damien. Stop being so violent.”

     “I’m never violent!” returned Damien, voice dripping with insincerity as he left the room to join the younger man.

     A small incredulous snort escaped Shane before he finally noticed the two approaching down the hall. Jared was impressed with the kid’s reaction to seeing Tony. The smile never left his face, his eyes still sparkled with amusement and passed right over Tony as if the bloke weren’t there right beside him. Then Damien threw an arm around Shane’s shoulders and started to lead him away in the opposite direction.

     “I want pizza!” Damien exclaimed cheerfully. “What do you think?”

     “Yeah, I could do with some pizza.”

     “And beer! You’ll drink tonight, wont you cutie.”

     “Sure.”

     Jared shook his head in amazement. “Best ignoring technique I’ve ever seen,” he commented when Damien and Shane disappeared around the corner. They could still hear Damien’s voice however; exclaiming how impressed Shane would be with his bedroom. “He gets the blue ribbon for that. Like you didn’t even exist. Going to start taking notes from that kid.”

     “Shut up,” Tony murmured.

 

* * *

 

Shane leaned against the door, breathing out heavily as Damien walked into a closet half the size of his colossal bedroom. “Damien… Seriously, I don’t think I can be here right now.”

     “YES YOU CAN!”

     Shane winced and slid down the door before pulling his knees up to his chest before dropping his cheek.

     “Shane, you need to understand something,” Damien began minutes later as he returned from the closet dressed in a black wife beater and black track pants with white stripes down the sides. “Tony knows he’s in the wrong. K? He knows he messed up. You leaving will only make this mistake of his easier to handle.” Damien grinned wickedly down at his friend with the adorable pout. “You want him to suffer, don’t you? You stay and ignore him for a while and it will be torture. He’s sprung on you… otherwise he never would have lost control like that. He wouldn’t have been invested enough to care. But with you it’s different. You need to understand, cutie. Tony has trust issues, stemming back from when he was a kid and even after with some of his past relationships…. he’s not as perfect as you think he is.”

     “No one’s perfect. I never thought he was perfect. But he was being- It hurt a lot.”

     Damien knelt down and wrapped his arms around the freshmen. “Sweetie, you’re in love with my stupid best friend. I know it hurts. You’re a sensitive soul.”

     Shane began to nod against Damien’s shoulder where he’d planted his forehead, but then suddenly pulled away, looking shocked. “What are you talking about? I’m not in love with him!”

     Damien’s brows rose way past his artificially black hairline. “Oh, please,” he said as if that were the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard. “Yes you are! Though,” and here he looked disgusted, “why you would want to invest your soul into something like love of that kind is beyond me, but hey, to each their own I guess.”

     “You’re messed up.”

     “Thanks!” Damien laughed as he stood and tugged Shane along with him. “Let’s go get that beer and pizza and call the others here.”

     _“Damien, I need to see you and Jared in my office immediately. We need to speak about recent happenings in one of our UK branches.”_

Damien spun around and ran to the intercom on the wall near his bed. He glared at it as he pushed a button. “No! I’m busy, Daddy. Whatever it is I’m sure your super powerful tool can take care of it. Weren’t you just with him?”

     _“You will bring your ass down here now or I’ll restrict your credit card usage. Indefinitely.”_

Damien ran for the door and shoved Shane out of the way before bolting out of the room and sprinting away with a terrified look on his face. Shane laughed so hard he almost fell. He was grateful Damien had pushed him aside before leaving. Because for a moment there he was sure his friend was about to barrel right through him.

    

* * *

 

“Jesus, Newton! What happened to your face?” Damien inquired after twisting his chair around so he could straddle it in front of his father’s desk.

     Jared eyed Damien without trying to look like he was doing so. He liked this casual look just as much as he liked the plain t and ripped jeans. “Tony.”

     “Well,” Damien smirked, “you should thank him. It’s a vast improvement.”

     “Ha bloody fucking ha…”

     Damien dropped arms over the back of his chair, dropped his chin there and glared petulantly at his father. “Can we get on with it please? I left a depressed and highly impressionable cutie in my bedroom. Probably now wandering off and in the process of getting lost.”

     Damien’s father dropped two files in front of them before sitting back and rested fingers beneath his chin. “I’m aware of the trip you’ve planned for the upcoming three day weekend.” Damien hissed under his breath and shot Jared a quelling glare. “Regardless of the plans already made, they are now cancelled.”

     “But Daddy! Revenge!”

     “You’ll have to wait for your fun, Damien. The corporation comes first.” He gave his son a hard stare. “Does it not?”

     Damien sighed and opened the folder. “Yes, sir.” Then he instantly perked up. “London! Sweet—hey now, this says… No way! I’m not spending three days at Newton’s house!”

     “You will.”

     “Not. Going. To. Happen.”

     “Yeah,” Jared finally piped in, “that’s… not a good idea, Shrod.” He stared into his boss’s eyes, trying to make the man understand without actually giving anything away.

     Shrod sighed. He opened a drawer and pulled out an envelope before dropping it in front of his son. “An incentive, boy. Remember you wishing you had the time to go to this. Now you can. Luckily the meetings are the day before the concert. You should have fun.”

     Damien became excited halfway through his father’s explanation and tore the envelope open. He pulled the tickets out, and Jared thought his face would shatter from the size of the grin on his face. “Yes! Whatever you want, Daddy! Thanks!”

       Shrod allowed a small smile. “Fine. Now you may go back to entertaining your guest… and make sure Tony stays out of my wine. I know how he is when he broods.”

       Damien, with the tickets clutched firmly to his chest, beamed another smile and then was gone. Once the door was shut, Jared leaned forward with narrowed eyes.

       “Just what the bloody hell do you think you’re doing? You have two homes in London. There’s no reason-”      

     “I have my reasons,” Shrod answered flatly. Jared quickly drew up his own conclusions.

     “He doesn’t need to go then. If Damien is in any kind of danger….”

     Suddenly Shrod started laughing. “You really are taking this protection thing seriously.”

     Despite his determination to not do so, Jared quickly found himself embarrassed and turned away from the smirk being thrown his way. “Well Christ, Shrod. He goes around acting like a six year old.”

     “He’s got an uplifting personality.”

     “He’s got ten personalities. Not all are uplifting. Some are downright frightening.”

     “Makes him unique, don’t you think?” Jared snorted. “Let me tell you something. When he was a boy, that uniqueness overwhelmed me. I was, at the time, unable to deal with it. After everything that happened to him as a boy, after learning of that woman’s behavior with him…I didn’t know how to handle that, the trauma she caused and his subsequent lashing out. I was at my wits end, Jared. So much so that when he came out in the flashiest way possible, I used that as an excuse to start pushing him away so that I could concentrate on myself. But all that time, he only wanted attention and real affection from a parent…”

     Jared’s hands fisted on his knees while all expression fell from his face. He really didn’t want to start hating the man before him. But if Shrod were implying that he catered to Damien’s every whim just to-

     “I don’t humor my son simply to keep him from causing me personal problems, Jared. I do it because now, making Damien happy gives me personal pleasure. I would have burned out long ago if it weren’t for him. And he’s opened my eyes to so many things over the years. Issues that I would have shied away from, issues that previously I had a firm stance on…”

     “Are you making a point, Shrod?”

     “No not really.” But the slow grin on his face indicated otherwise.

     “Obviously you’re getting old. You don’t usually ramble.”

     “I’m not too old to shove my foot up your ass!” the man barked.

     Jared smirked. “What was his incentive?”

     “Concert tickets,” Shrod replied with a shrug. He didn’t really know who they were; only knew Damien was a huge fan and had been disappointed that he couldn’t see them when they’d been touring the US. “Apparently he’s in lust with one of the singer’s voices.”

       Jared snorted. “So he gets an incentive. Where’s mine?”

     Shrod replied with a Cheshire cat grin. “There’ll be a package delivered to you tomorrow. Enjoy.”

 

* * *

 

Sheera flounced into the entertainment room and went straight to the pool table where Damien and Shane were immersed in a close game. She rose a high brow after catching sight of Tony and Newton at the far end of the room, at the bar, both nursing hard liquor drinks and talking lowly. “My favorite queers,” she cooed after kissing Damien’s cheek and turning to her cousin.

     “Don’t even think about it,” Shane warned as he bent to take a shot.

     “Someone’s bitchy today.”

     Damien cleared his throat and when he had her attention, he roughly shook his head. “So, break up with _Marc_ yet?” he asked with a nasty grin.

     “Actually I did.”

     Damien made an excited sound, more of a screech really, causing Shane to mess up his shot. “Dammit, Damien. Fucking cheater!”

     “Awesome, She! Tell me, did he cry? Balled his eyes out didn’t he?”

     “Tell me why Tony’s over there talking it up with Newton?” she asked instead of answering him. She was in no mood to talk about Marc.

     Damien frowned, “apparently they’re friends now. Happened after beating the shit out of each other.”

     “Boys,” she murmured with a snort.

     “Fucking traitor,” Damien said of Tony.

     “Fucking asshole,” Shane murmured, catching his cousin’s attention.

     “Hey, Shane-”

     “Come on, She. I’ll make you a drink. Want another beer, cutie?” Shane nodded as he continued to knock back pool balls.

     “What’s going on?” she whispered while being pulled to the bar.

     “Ask this fool,” Damien said and poked Tony center back.

     “Broke up with Marc?” Tony asked. “Bout time.”

     “Don’t worry about her break up. You should worry about your own.” Damien was kind of astounded when the glass Tony was holding cracked under the immense pressure suddenly surrounding it.

     “Did he tell you that?” Tony asked lowly. Jared narrowed his eyes on Damien when he shrugged his shoulders carelessly. “Damien?”

     “I’m not saying anything.”

     “You’ve already said too much,” Jared said to him. Damien flipped him off and then went back to mixing drinks. Tony pushed away from the bar and headed straight to Shane, who had purposely turned his back on the bar long ago. Sheera then immediately slid onto his bar seat and began to study Jared with narrowed eyes. He flashed a very charming smile and to Damien’s chagrin, she flashed one right back.

     “No way! He did not win you over just like that! Sheera, come on! You were my last line of defense, hun!”

     “It’s a damn fine smile.”

     “Dammit, Newton. You suck!”

     Sheera turned her smile onto Damien. “Stop bitching and get me my drink, queer.”

     “Fag hag,” Damien mumbled as he did exactly what she said.

     Tony approached Shane and dropped a hand on his boyfriend’s shoulder. “Stop ignoring me. Acting like this is stupid.”

     Shane shrugged him off and rounded the pool table, stubbornly not making eye contact. “Drop dead.”

     Tony resisted the urge to pick up a pool ball and launch it across the room. Instead he leaned forward and spread his hands over the pool table. “We really need to talk about this.”

     “There’s nothing I want to hear from you right now,” Shane mumbled lowly. “Now move your hands. Playing a game here.”

     “Jesus, Shane. I’m sorry!”

     Shane growled and threw his pool stick over the table before finally meeting Tony’s gaze. There was a world of hurt in Shane’s eyes that made Tony want to grab his chest over his heart.

     “And?!” Shane yelled, heedless to the others in the room, who may or may not be listening. “You think saying sorry is going to make it better? That it’ll make me forget you’ve begun treating me like property? Fuck that, man! You want property, go out and buy it. I’m not for sale!”

     Tony was around the table and grabbing Shane’s hand before the brat could react. “You’re not fucking property!” he hissed. “I’ve never treated you-” he broke off when the look in Shane’s eyes softened.

     “Look, Tony. I know you don’t mean it. You probably don’t even realize you’re doing it, but you have been.” Shane pulled away and dropped his eyes to the ground when he saw the incredulous look on his boyfriend’s face. “It’s never going to work for me.”

     “Stop.” When Shane looked at him with a half glare, Tony ran a hand through his hair. “I’ll do anything you want, Shane. Just please stop talking like you want to end this.”

     “If I wanted to break up with you I would have said it already. Damn man, quit assuming things!” Tony took one second to turn and blast Damien with a heated glare. His friend smiled brightly and wiggled his fingers at him. “For instance… assuming something’s going on with Newton and me. That’s fucked up.” Shane leaned forward and whispered, “especially since we both know Newton wants Damien.”

     “Don’t start saying stuff like that when Damien’s anywhere in the vicinity. He’ll freak.”

     “Whatever,” the freshman mumbled, dropping his eyes to the floor. It was so hard to stay mad at Tony when the man was invading his personal space and looking at him with those sharp green eyes. It was hard to stay mad at him when his eyes had filled with horror at the thought of Shane wanting to break up. When the older man had clearly been terrified at the thought. He had to look away from that gaze. “I’m not really concerned about him right now.”

     He knew Tony was staring at him. Shane could feel that penetrating gaze, but the man remained silent and Shane’s nerves were so great that he couldn’t help but start to chew his bottom lip in worry. He didn’t want to break up with Tony. The thought never crossed his mind, no matter how angry at his boyfriend he was and no matter how many times they fought. But he did think they needed to work through some of their issues. He didn’t really know what Tony’s were; only that Damien and Newton had lightly mentioned them.

     “We’ll talk. We’ll talk right now, okay. I’ll tell you why I’ve probably been acting like—stop chewing on your lip, baby. It’s very distracting and it’s been a long week.”

       Shane couldn’t help but agree by smiling. “A very long week.”

       “Shane,” Tony grabbed his chin and made him look at him. “Really, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I let irrational jealousy cloud my mind. My mind’s always clouded when it comes to you.”

     Shane huffed in annoyance. “That’s not fair.”

     “What I said to you earlier. That wasn’t fair. Forgive-”

     Jared shook his head after seeing Shane cut Tony’s words off by plastering himself against his boyfriend and kissing him. “Really can’t hold a grudge.”

     “Course not. My cousin’s the sweetest and Tony’s hot,” Sheera said proudly.

     Damien smiled and raised his glass to hers. “Hear, hear!” They clinked glasses before tossing back the drinks.

     Sheera sighed and dropped her elbows onto the bar. “So what were they fighting about anyway?”

     “Tony was being a possessive freak and basically accused some things…” Damien shrugged and watched his two friends make their way further into the back of the room, where there were several sectional couches they could hide behind. Shane grabbed Tony’s shirt as he fell behind one; Tony was laughing as he fell on top of boyfriend. Seconds later, Shane’s blue dress shirt flew out from behind.

     “Wonder if you should remind Tony there’s more than a dozen bedrooms around,” Sheera said after a moment.

     “Shane’s not going to let Tony fuck him right here with us in the room.”

     “Did you erase that vid from your phone?” Jared asked.

     “C-course.” When he was met with looks of disbelief from both Jared and Sheera, he snorted. “No.”

     “You should, else it’ll end up in the wrong hands.”

     “Like yours, Newton?”

     “Damien, stop calling me Newton.”

     “I’ll call you whatever the hell I want!”

     Jared opened his mouth to reply, but snapped it shut again when Tony’s low husky voice floated around the room. “Mmm… Wanna make you scream.”

     There was a gasp, quickly followed by, “you’ll have to work for it.”

     A low whine escaped Damien’s throat before he slammed his glass on the bar. “Get a fucking room! Christ! Now I’ve got a hard on.”

     Sheera snorted into her glass and watched Damien speed away out of the room. “A shame he has to jack off alone… don’t you think, Newton?”

     Jared set his glass down, congratulated himself on keeping a steady hand and stood as well. “I’m gonna go… away somewhere.”

     Sheera grinned devilishly at his back. “You could always go and give Damien a hand.” Jared refused to answer, instead picked up the pace.

     “Sheera, that was mean,” Shane said as he managed to pull himself away from Tony, because really he did not want to fuck there on the floor for all to hear.

     “What? Oh, come on. Those two need give it up already.”

     Shane looked at her curiously. “Is that why you’ve suddenly become chummy with Newton?”

     “Sure. Damien’s afraid of Newton. There’s a good reason for that. I for one think a fling with the British bastard would be good for our flamboyant friend.”

       Shane flashed her a bright smile. “Yeah, me too! It’s obvious Newton really likes him.” Shane turned to glare at the man prowling towards him. “OBVIOUS!”

     Tony came up behind Shane, hooked an arm around his boyfriend’s waist and began to push him towards the door. “Hang tight, Sheera. We’ll be back.”

     “Oh sure. Everyone leave me alone. That’s great. What the hell happened to the party? Fine! I’m going to go bother Shrod until Mai and Caleb show. At least he loves me! Maybe he’ll give me more money…”

 

* * *

 

A few hours later found Damien peeking out of a window overlooking the back lawn where the basketball court was. Mai and Caleb had shown up some time ago, and now Caleb and Jared were playing one on one under the bright court lights.

     “All of them,” Damien seethed. “Freaking traitors!” _Biggest traitor of them all standing right here,_ he thought pitifully as he stared at the bare broad shoulders and muscled arms of his co-worker.

     Damien had a thing for arms. A very big thing. A huge fetish. And this was the first time he’d seen Jared in anything but a rolled up dress shirt. But now the man was down to a wife beater, displaying huge round muscled shoulders for the fucking world to see! And Damien was dismayed to find he was drooling and sporting the hardest erection he’d ever had.

     This was his own fault, he realized. How long had it been since he’d gone out to get laid? Why had he stopped trying to get laid?

     “Everything has to do with you!” he hissed poking a finger at the window aiming at the British bastard. “Fuck this. I’m going to go fuck a stranger. Get these stupid useless thoughts out of my head.”

     “You should start being honest with yourself instead of trying to run away and drown yourself.”

     “Oh, I do _not_ need this right now,” Damien hissed, turning to face his father.

     “You’re a grown man, Damien. You should be well passed this promiscuous stage.”

     “And I definitely don’t need this from _you_.”

     “When are you going to pull the blindfold from your eyes? The only reason why you go out to get men you don’t know for one night at a time is-”

     “I know exactly why I do it. I’m fine with it. I don’t need to change. And I don’t need you to butt into my intimate life either.” Damien spun back around and slammed his finger against the window again. “And what the hell are you trying to pull, making me stay at his…” he trailed off and just blanked out staring at those arms again for a moment. “You only want us to get along because you’re going to make him a partner.”

     Shrod stared at his son in surprise. “Didn’t realize you… You don’t sound upset.”

     Damien shook his head. “I’m not upset because I know I would never be able to run it as good as you if I were by myself. And it’s a big company. I really don’t know how you can do it by yourself.”

     “I don’t. You and Jared are my minions. I sit back and read reports.”

     “Father,” Damien sighed, “I can’t… open my eyes to him. Okay?”

     “I’m not an idiot, boy! I see your eyes are already wide open. They have been since the day you walked into the office to find me welcoming Jared to the company! I know what this is about. And to be honest, I wouldn’t mind it at all if you started to see each other more outside of work.”

     “You’re wrong!” Damien whined. “I don’t want him! I don’t want him or his freaking unnaturally sexy arms…”

     Shrod’s face hardened at his son’s ridiculous stubbornness against this whole thing. “Let me make myself perfectly clear, son. You continue to go on passing yourself around from man to man just to run away, I will cut off your allowance and lock you out of your trust fund until you are eighty. Is this understood?”

     “What?! All that just because I refuse to acknowledge Newton?”

     “No. All that because you put an ill light on our corporation. I gave you time, Damien. To heal and to sow your wild oats, as they say. You are no longer a boy. I will not have you acting as one. I gave you time… It’s time to put the past behind you. You’re a strong man, son. You shouldn’t be afraid of people.”

     “So… I can’t go fuck around?”

     “Yes. That’s exactly right.”

     Damien looked off to the side for a minute, eyes squeezed tightly closed as if preparing a tantrum of monumental proportions. Then he looked back at his father with resignation. “Fine. But I can still color my hair and dress however I want, right? You’re not threatening that away are you? Cause if so I’d die!”

     Shrod pinched the bridge of his nose and wondered how his son could still surprise him so drastically. He’d accepted it without much complaint. Sometimes he wondered if he had a son or a daughter. He supposed a bit of both. The thought actually had him laughing. “Just stop fucking around.”

      “Fine. But you can’t make me like Newton, Daddy.”

     “Damien…”

     “No! He’s a homophobe! I hate freaks like him!”

     “You know damn well he’s no homophobe. I would never make you work with someone like that.”

     “He is!” Damien sealed the fact by stamping his foot.

     Shrod chuckled. “Jared’s right. You do go around acting like a six year old.” His father turned with a wave and headed away. “Very amusing. I suppose it makes up for me missing most of your early childhood.”

     “He said—that prick!”

     “Don’t kill him,” Shrod called as he rounded the corner.

     Damien snarled as he wrenched open the balcony doors. He ran out and down the stone steps and sprinted for the court, purposely looking at nothing but Jared’s face as he and Caleb faced off. Caleb was momentarily stunned after losing his balance and falling to the ground when Damien slammed into his side in order to take his place in front of Jared.

     “Bastard! How dare you describe me like that to Daddy!” he shouted into Jared’s face.

     Jared quirked a brow at him, having no idea what Damien was talking about. After a moment he moved and extended a hand to Caleb, helping the tall black man to his feet. When he returned to his position in front of Damien, he found him standing stock-still, not even breathing.

     “Oi! Breathe!” Jared grabbed his shoulder, pressing a thumb against Damien’s jumping pulse. “What’s the matter with you now?” he gave the younger man a small shake and was relieved when Damien took in a deep breath.

     Jared bending down to Caleb had brought his shoulders in direct contact with Damien’s eyes and his body had kind of seized. He felt his muscles getting ready to pounce. He had to distract himself somehow. It would not be good should he tackle Jared to the ground and start biting. “Um…” Damien licked his dry lips, trying to pull his eyes away from the broad shoulders in front of him. And failed. Somewhere above the buzzing in his head, Damien heard Caleb chuckling over his dilemma. All his friends were aware of his fetish.

     After a moment when all Damien did was stare, Caleb took pity and threw Jared a towel. He caught it, wiped off his face before draping it around his neck, one end falling carelessly over a shoulder. Damien glared at the offending piece of cloth. But it was enough to get him back to his senses.

     “You described me as a six year old! To my father!”

     “Well yes,” Jared laughed and dropped the hand he still had on Damien’s shoulder. “You do act like it sometimes.”

     “I should gut you.”

     “You’d only end up getting hurt,” Jared reminded and then sighed in annoyance when Damien averted his eyes again, seeming to prefer staring at his shoulder than at his face. What was Damien’s problem? Couldn’t he look him in the eye? Jared then went still himself when darkened blue eyes flew to his just as a pale hand lifted; a finger out and poised a breath away from his shoulder. Jared wasn’t stupid. Damien’s blue eyes were darkened with lust.

     “Hey man,” Caleb came over and grabbed Damien’s arm, jerking his finger away. “Go save your father from Mai and She. They’ve been prowling around looking for him.”

     “Just wanted to see if it was real,” Damien whined when Caleb continued to push him off the court.

    “Trust me, they are. Solid,” Caleb muttered and gave him one final push. He watched Damien stumble away half dazed.

     “What the hell is going on?” Jared demanded when Caleb returned.

   “Man’s got a serious fetish.” Caleb motioned to Jared’s arms, and then made a circling motion, indicating his shoulders. “He always watches Magic games with me and I found out it was only because he was sprung on Dwight Howard and the massive shoulder strength there. Dude drools the entire game. But compared to then and now, I’d say you rated way past the ten Damien gave Howard.”

       Jared’s eyes brightened and he looked off after Damien. “Really…”

     “I knew it. We all knew it, actually. You’re not exactly working on the down low.”

     “Not working on anything,” Jared replied flatly while pointing to the discarded basketball.

     Caleb laughed as he grabbed up the ball and watched Jared toss the towel away. “You know, I’m looking forward to see how this all pans out. It’s sure to be fucking hilarious.”

      

* * *

 

         Jared went home after another hour of playing basketball with Caleb. And he looked forward to being able to sleep in the following day. Jared Newton never did anything by halves so when he says he’s going to sleep in, that’s exactly what he means. Saturdays he usually slept in until well past noon. Unfortunately his sleep would be interrupted this Saturday.

     He was pulled from sleep- from a dream he suspected involved someone with familiar blue eyes and multicolored hair… which was embarrassing since he hadn’t had a dream like that in years- by the sound of someone ringing his doorbell and then pounding on the door. He cursed whoever dared disturbed him as he stumbled to the door, not giving a shit that his boxers were tented. “What the bloody hell do you want?” he barked once the door was open.

     “S- sorry sir. But you have a package.” The young Shrod Corp errand boy motioned to a large box positioned on a trolley beside him.

     Jared’s sleep fuddled mind cleared instantly. “Right, thanks.” He moved forward and prepared to pick it up.

     “Uh, sir… it’s heavy.”

     Jared ignored him and picked the box up. It was a little heavy, but not so much that he thought a trolley was needed. “Thanks again,” he said before kicking the door closed. Jared had an idea of what this was since Shrod had it hand delivered instead of mailed and he felt himself getting excited. Again. The old man always gave the best incentives. He set the box in the middle of the spacious living room of his condo before moving off to the kitchen to retrieve a box cutter.

     He’d just cut and opened the top of the box to reveal a bunch of annoying foam peanuts when his doorbell rang again. This time he ignored it and started scooping out the peanuts. He just pulled out a small polished hand carved wooden box when the doorbell abruptly stopped. Seconds later his door was being pounded on like someone was trying to kick it in. Immediately Jared tensed and his gaze quickly darted to the couch where a Glock pistol was hidden beneath one of the cushions.

     “Newton! Let us in! I know you’re here. Your stupid broken car is in the parking garage!” And then the doorbell was being incessantly buzzed without pause.

     Jared stared at the door for a moment as he clenched and unclenched his fists, thinking he’d heard the voice wrong. Surely that person wouldn’t willingly have shown up. Soon the doorbell got on his nerves and he gingerly placed to wooden box on the coffee table before going to the door and wrenching it open. He took a moment to notice Damien wasn’t alone. He brought Caleb and Shane along. They looked suitably apologetic for intruding. Jared bent until his nose was nearly touching Damien’s. “Never knock on my door like that again.”

     Damien’s eyes were wide in shock. “You- you’re not wearing any clothes,” he croaked.

     Shane laughed while Caleb snorted. “Just wake up, man?” he asked.

     Jared pulled back and ran a hand through his yet to be managed hair. “Ten minutes ago. I was woken up for a package. Might as well come in.”

     “Go put some clothes on!”

     “I’m not completely naked,” Jared said while he eyed the ripped jeans Damien was once again sporting.

     “I don’t care. Go put m-more on! Right now!”

     “Sure, princess,” Jared smirked as he turned and led them into his condo. Damien sputtered incoherently while watching Jared’s retreating ass and then was pushed inside by Caleb and Shane.

     “So where’s Tony? Was sure he wouldn’t let you come to my flat without him, Shane.”

     “Afternoon shift at the labs… hey, what did you get?” Shane said pointing to the box in the center of the living room.

     “Rather nosy, aren’t we?” Jared replied as he went into his room to grab a pair of jeans.

     Shane blushed and shifted on his feet. “Sorry.”

     “Did you see the tattoos? He has a tattoo!” Damien hissed to Caleb. “And the arms,” he moaned.

     “Just calm down and take deep breaths,” Shane told him.

     “Yeah, saw the tats,” Caleb murmured. One of them looked like a gang tattoo. The smaller one on the man’s hipbone. A red shamrock; crimson red and dripping as if bleeding with three symbols below it. The symbols weren’t anything Caleb recognized but the fact that they were branded into Jared’s skin instead of inked in like the shamrock clued him in on the fact it probably meant some type of gang symbol. The larger tattoo, the one Damien was freaking out about, was on Jared’s back. Stretched from shoulder blade to shoulder blade was a phrase in Latin, and underneath that was a black snake twisted around and speared on a burning fishhook. The fire on the fishhook was tri colored. Green, white, and orange.

     “Did you read what it said? You can read Latin, right?” Caleb asked.

     “It says ‘no snakes in the green land’,” Jared replied flatly as he left his bedroom. His tone suggested the subject should be dropped.

     Now that he was dressed in jeans and a plain white t-shirt, Damien found his brain functions turning back on to half power. “What does that mean?”

     “You’re smart. Figure it out,” he murmured distractedly as he sat on the couch and pulled the small box towards him. “Help yourself to anything in the kitchen if you feel like it.” He moved to open the box, but knowing Shrod and already half knowing what this was most likely to be, he set it aside and stood again, going over to the windows and closing the blinds.

     It wasn’t agitated paranoia, Caleb decided, but the man was used to being careful. Obviously he was more than they thought he was. When Jared sat back down, the others took seats also. Damien sank next to him, because now that the bastard was dressed, he didn’t feel the need to maul him and he was just as curious as cutie. Shane sat on the floor in front of the coffee table, and Caleb sat in the lazy boy next to the couch, it also faced the table.

     “Going to tell me why you three are here?”

     “We just came for a visit,” said Shane.

     “Right. I believe that…” he said with a pointed look at Damien.

     “It’s true. Daddy threatened my trust fund. Said I had to make friends with you.”

     Jared made a noncommittal sound as he began to open the box and he got a peek inside. His eyes widened at seeing the gift settled on the bottom of the box. Shrod’s incentives were the best! He snapped the box closed and looked at the man beside him. “Err… how did you get here? Did you take the Jag?”

     It took a moment for Damien to answer. He was more concerned with the excited eyes of his couch partner, and the pale flush on his face to immediately catch the words. “No. Shane and I came on one of my bike’s and Caleb drove himself.”

     Jared nodded. He was not about to chance Damien knowing about his car and then pulling out a nice weapon for the Drama Queen to use on him. He flipped the top of the box back so that he could handle his new acquisition. He picked up the very rare item and felt a shiver run down his spine. It fit in the palm of his hand. He eyed the stainless steel barrel and black grip and wished he were on the firing range. “Christ, I love your father! I mean… fuck! There are only twenty of these in the world. Twenty!”

     “Dude, you look about twelve years old right now on Christmas morning,” Caleb said with a laugh.

    “Perhaps you didn’t hear me.” Jared held up the small gun so Caleb could see it clearly. “I said there are only twenty of these in the world. A Rohrbaugh 9 mm… Look at the size of it!”

     Damien sniffed and raised his nose in the air. “It’s only a little piece of crap gun.”

     A vein popped and was clearly throbbing down Jared’s throat as he looked at Shane and Caleb. “Did you hear something?” he asked through clenched teeth.

     Shane was too busy still staring at the gun in shock but Caleb broke down laughing at the indignant expression taking over Damien’s face. “You know what,” Jared turned slightly to Damien and pressed the barrel against the tear on Damien’s thigh, “you could use this. Keep it in a holster around your thigh under a skirt. I’d like to see that.”

     “I don’t do drag,” Damien ground out, wishing that unloaded gun wasn’t sending certain signals to his dick. Maybe it wasn’t the gun. Maybe it was Jared’s burning eyes.

     “You sure?” Jared laughed kind of coldly. “You wearing a skirt would make me forget you’ve got a dick under there.” He stood and went to the box in the center of the room.

     Damien growled and launched off the couch, intent on pulling Jared’s head right off his shoulders, but Shane wrapped an arm around the furious man’s waist and pulled him back.

     “He’s only teasing you.”

     “But he said it in that condescendingly cold tone,” Damien whispered in a whine. “The British bastard homophobe tone.”

     Caleb heaved out of the chair and left Damien for Shane to soothe while he went over to Jared, who was pulling a large black duffle bag out of the box. “Man, why’d you say that?”

     “Cause I can,” murmured distractedly.

     Caleb jerked the bag out of Jared’s hand. “We warned you… you can’t go back to how you were-”

       Jared’s face hardened and he lifted the small R9 in between them. “He called this a little piece of crap gun. What the bloody fuck?”

       Caleb relaxed and cracked a grin, showing off bright white teeth against his dark skin. “You’re a gun jock, aren’t you?”

       Jared cleared his throat. “Obsessed, actually,” he confessed. “Now give me the fucking bag. It’s a Baretta CX4. Jesus, can’t believe he got me a CX4 Storm…” Caleb handed the black bag over, finally noticing the white writing on the side that read CX4. Then he plopped down next to Jared. “You like guns, Caleb?”

     “Not as much as you, obviously. How big a collection you got?”

     “Pretty big.”

     He pulled the gun out and Caleb couldn’t help but be impressed by it. It was a carbine, which was something like a tactical rifle, but this was more sleek and modern. Military issue, state of the line. “It’s accurate, easy to use…can accessorize the hell out of it. Has a retractable and extending accessory rail. Allows you to mount tactical lights, the side rails allow for lasers… I’ve been eyeing this for months.”

     “You jack off to this shit, don’t you?”

     “Fuck off.”

     Shane was laughing in his hand at the repentant look on Damien’s face. They’d heard all of that conversation and realized Jared was really offended by the piece of crap comment. It was like insulting Damien’s wardrobe.

     “So what did we learn here today?” he whispered.

     “Newton gets turned on by cold hard steel. Knew he was a robot.” Damien shook off Shane’s annoyed look and stood to go into the kitchen. “I’m not going to say sorry. I never say sorry. I’m not sorry,” he kept muttering under his breath, searching the fridge for something to drink. “He should say sorry. My cock’s good enough. I don’t need a fucking skirt. Bastard.”

     He pulled a bottle of water out before turning to lean against the counter and watch Jared pull out yet another gun his father sent his super tool. This had Damien frowning. What, exactly, besides the business end, did his father have Jared do? It was obvious he had other duties besides being a partner in the corporation. And it was obvious Jared had other skills he’d picked up in his younger years; other seamier skills. It was the way the jerk acted when he wasn’t at work or when he was with people he felt comfortable with. Damien felt kind of warm when he realized Jared felt very comfortable with him and his friends. You could see it in his eyes and the way he smiled and talked to them.

     Anyway, pulling back from those thoughts- they made him uncomfortable- Damien wondered if Jared had ever killed someone with the guns he had. After a moment of thought the fake brunet was willing to bet his trust fund he had. Because as much as Jared’s eyes shone with childish delight at having the pieces, he also handled them with care, a lot of morbid respect, and his body language screamed serious as he touched and described to Caleb the details of every piece. Not only that, Jared hadn’t even hesitated to place the barrel against his skin. So he was used to pointing guns at people. Not that Damien had a moment’s thought to the jerk ever shooting him. Or even accidentally shooting him. Not just because of his father. But something told Damien only lethal enemies would see a bullet from Jared’s guns.

     Damien sighed. _Jared’s guns… yum._

     Jared suddenly laughed at the last gun he pulled. “Old man really is losing his mind.” He held a Glock up. “He’s given me two of these already.”

     Damien nodded to himself. Yep, Daddy definitely had Jared doing other things for him.

     “Yeah, man?” Caleb grabbed it by the barrel, “mind if I take this one?”

     “What for?” Jared returned, his voice gone serious. “It’s not a toy.”

     Caleb matched his serious look and set the pistol between them. “You just said you collect them. You now saying you use the guns you have?”

     “Pleading the Fifth.”

     Damien nodded again, liking Jared even more- damn the bastard!- and returned to the couch to stand behind where Shane sat. He bent over and set his chin on cutie’s shoulder. “You’ve been very quiet, sweetie. Want to go? These things making you nervous? We can go if you want.”

     “I’m not a girl scout. Hey, uh… does Tony have a gun?”

     Damien bit his lip. He didn’t want to answer. Was it his business? Tony did have one. Though it’s been in a lock box collecting dust for years. Daddy gave him one when Damien had gone to get his own.

     Shane looked over his shoulder and saw the look and raised a brow. “He does then.”

       “Daddy gave him one. It’s for safety. Tony was in need of some protection years back. Father got us, the five of us, memberships to the shooting range. He wanted us to be able to defend ourselves with deadly force if need be. He did that and made me swear to never use it for revenge. He swore if I ever used my gun to hurt someone just for revenge that he would see to it I would go to prison. Which was fine. It was easy to make that promise.” Damien grinned. “I prefer stabbing people with forks and pencils and other objects lying around.”

     “You say that with a grin but I know you’re being serious. And that makes me uncomfortable. Not the guns. What kind of shit do you get in to?”

     “Usually stuff that doesn’t require the use of a gun. Like I said, unlike Newton over there, we have the guns, but we don’t use them.”

     Jared looked back at Caleb. “Then why do you need this?”

     “Look man, I just do. Let me buy it from you.”

     “No.” Jared started packing things away. “I’ll not be held responsible.”

     “You can either give me that gun or I’ll get one off the streets.”

     Damien straightened and pierced his friend with a look. “Why didn’t you say you were in trouble?”

     Caleb gave a forced laugh as he got to his feet. “Man, I’m not in trouble. Stop trying to create drama.” Caleb waved that away and quickly headed for the door. “Just forget I said anything.”

     “He’s a terrible liar,” Jared commented when Caleb was gone, then he looked at Damien. “What’s he in to?”

     “As far as I know, nothing. But apparently I don’t know a lot because you’re right. He’s lying.”

       “Well then,” Jared hoisted his brand new CX4 over his shoulder and headed for his bedroom to put it away. “Seems I have a new mission.”

     Shane leaned over and nudged Damien. “You’re drooling.”

     “What the fuck is he? A spy?”

     “I’m not even going to try to figure it out. But tell me when you do. He’s cool in an ‘I don’t really think I should be his friend cause of the danger’ way.”

     “Suppose,” Damien grudgingly admitted.

     “And you want in his pants.”

     “Shut up! I do not!”

     When Jared came back he announced he was taking them out to lunch.

 

* * *

 

Tony parked several houses down from where he was heading. He quietly approached the dark house, rounded to the side and studied the tree he had been climbing since the age of ten. As he hefted his overnight bag over a shoulder, he sincerely prayed the owners of the house were deep asleep.

     It was an easy climb now that he was twenty-five and the tree was a strong one, easily taking his weight. Tony crawled out onto a thick branch that stopped several inches away from the window. He withdrew several pebbles of various sizes and started to throw the smaller ones at the window. “Come on,” he murmured, hoping not to have to use some of the bigger stones. That would be asking for trouble. Luckily a dim light he recognized as the bedside lamp came on. Sheera’s glowering face appeared on the other side of the glass a moment later. He grinned in the dark at her.

     “Can’t believe you were actually sleeping.” he said when she’d opened the window, and laughed quietly when her scowl deepened.

     “Want to die?”

     “Not particularly. I’d rather you let me in. C’mon, She. Help me in,” he whispered. “I want Shane.”

     A smile played at Sheera’s lips. “I’m insulted. Shane’s more important than me now, huh?”

     “I’ll come visit you tomorrow night.”

     Sheera snorted as she extended her hand for him to grip, “don’t bother.”

     Once he was inside, Tony kissed her cheek. “You know I love you.”

     “Sure. But I’m not the one giving out,” she replied and shut the window. “So that makes me less important.”

     “I wish people would stop saying that shit,” he grumbled. “It’s not just about an unbelievably awesome fuck.”

     Sheera grinned at her friend. “I know that, Tony. Otherwise I would never have let you in.” She crossed to her vanity and picked up a hairpin. “He’s locked the door. It’s probably going to be a habit from now on.”

     “Thanks. Talk to you tomorrow.”

     “Yeah, whatever,” Sheera fell back in bed. “Get out. Need my beauty sleep.”

     “You’ll need ten years of sleep for that to work out.”

     He ducked out of the room quickly and heard the soft thump of a pillow hitting the door. He then hurried to the room at the end of the hall, holding his breath and mentally cursing each and every time the damn wooden floor creaked under foot. He only released his breath once he was inside Shane’s room and had the door closed behind him. He then stood still leaning against the door for a minute, listening in case he had been heard and Rich was on his way. He wasn’t a coward, but any man who had the strength to kill another man with his bare hands could induce fear.

     Shane was barely visible in the darkness. Tony saw his silhouette in bed and the way Shane’s arms were crossed it looked like the brat was lying on his stomach. Seemed he liked sleeping that way.

     Tony was almost down to his boxers when Shane’s head suddenly popped up and he squinted blearily into the dark. “Get out,” he murmured sleepily. Tony wondered if the brat were even awake or aware that there was someone in the room with him.

     “Go back to sleep.”

     “Kay…” Shane slowly turned onto his back and stretched lazily. Tony snorted when he flipped right back onto his stomach once he was finished stretching. “Gonna stand there all night or do you actually plan to get in bed?” he asked after a moment, his voice strangely without its prior tiredness.

    “I’m coming, brat. Hold your fucking horses.”

     When he was in the bed, Shane shifted over and threw an arm over his chest, fingers lightly sliding over Tony’s chest. “I should kick you out.”

     “But you’re not going to.”

     “No. Not since you went through the trouble of sneaking into the house and breaking into my room. Again.”

     Tony grunted when Shane dug a finger into his side. “You got anything to do tomorrow?” he finally asked.

     “Yeah. Got a Lit composition to finish, need to study for a bio exam, and work on a History assignment.”

     Tony grumbled silently. That meant his boyfriend would be spending all day studying. He should probably do the same. Shane propped himself on his elbow. “Why are you here anyway?”

     At first Tony only shrugged, sort of embarrassed. But he’d gone to his apartment and couldn’t stand to be there. “It’s empty,” he finally said.

     “This isn’t normal for you. Is it?” Shane asked quietly, his tone coming out breathless, as if in awe. Tony shook his head. “Do you… are you in love with me?” he burst out. And then wished he had a brick to hit himself in the head with. What the fuck?!

     “I don’t know. Probably. Maybe,” came the gruff reply moments after. “I’m here, aren’t I? Rather be in this monk’s room than in my own apartment without you—go back to sleep, dammit! Can’t believe you came at me like that.”

     Shane grinned in the dark, exceedingly pleased that Tony had been honest and loving the way embarrassment washed over the older man. “We went to Jared’s place today. Damien seems to be cracking I think- did you know that guy has an arsenal?”

     “Damien?”

     “Jared. He’s totally into guns. Mr. Shrod sent him a present and he went completely insane over this little tiny gun. Exclaimed there were only twenty in the world. And then next he pulled out this rifle. A black one. Looked kind of like a military gun. And I swear, man. He was almost crying over the thing. The way he was acting, I think…”

     “What, brat? Spit it out.”

     “Don’t know. Wonder what he did before joining with Mr. Shrod. He’s kind of mysterious.”

     “Great,” Tony drawled out with no small amount of sarcasm.

     Shane grinned. “You’re not going to go back to being insanely jealous, are you?”

     “And have you mad at me? No thanks.” Tony reached over and pulled Shane until the track star was spread over him. Shane crossed his arms over Tony’s chest and dropped his chin onto his arms.

     “Something’s wrong with Caleb. Jared said he was going to find out what it was.”

     Tony frowned at this. “What do you mean? What’s wrong with him?”

     “He wouldn’t say. But he wanted Jared to give him a gun, and when Jared refused, Caleb said he’d get one off the streets. And then Damien asked why he never told you guys he was in trouble. And then Caleb lied- it was obvious he was lying- and said he wasn’t in trouble and for us to forget about it.”

     “Then what?”

     “Caleb quickly left and Jared announced he had a new mission. So I guess he’s going to find out what’s up with Caleb.”

     Tony stared up at the ceiling and in the dark Shane could see his eyes flickering as he lost himself in thoughts of his friend. After a moment he lifted a hand to Shane’s hair, fingers drifting through the dark blond strands. “I’m going to help him out.”

     “Who? Jared?” Tony nodded. “Just don’t get hurt. I’m thinking Jared’s a dangerous guy, Tony, and I think trouble might follow. You guys say you do things on the edge of illegal. Jared most definitely crosses the line.”

     Tony’s low chuckle caused him to shiver. “Anyone ever tell you you gossip like a girl?”

     Shane rolled off him with a huff. “Fucker.”


	12. Episode Twelve

On Monday morning, Damien bid good day to his father and left the mansion. It wasn’t rare for him to stay the weekends at his childhood home, and now that he and his father had a very good relationship, he enjoyed doing it. And he was always able to get a free car wash and fuel up at the mansion as well as have free reign over the other cars and bikes in the garage. So this was the first time since Friday he’d been in the Jag.

     It wasn’t until he came to the onramp of the interstate did he realize something was wrong with his beautiful baby. He gunned the gas and when he hit forty, the Jag jerked several times as if preparing to stall.

     “What the…” he pressed the gas again as he moved from the onramp onto the interstate, and again, after reaching forty, the car jerked before returning smoothly; and yet this time Damien did not let up on the gas, and he was incensed to see the line was not going over forty miles per hour. “WHAT THE FUCK?!”

     If there was one thing he hated it was being overtaken by insignificant, cheaply made cars. And another was people honking their horns at him. Damien pressed down on his own horn in response and nearly passed out with rage when the horn blew out a ridiculous juvenile jingle.

     Seething, Damien connected his cell with his headset and furiously punched in a number.

     _“Newton.”_

     “You are dead,” he hissed.

     _“Damien?”_

     “I’m going to barbeque you, rip you to shreds, and send BRISKET A LA NEWTON to THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES!”

     Jared laughed, truly amused. A laugh that reminded Damien of every good thing he liked about the bastard. _“That’s the best threat I’ve ever been given. You know where to find me, princess.”_

     Damien seriously thought about skipping school to drive to the office and carry out his threat. And he felt like crying, knowing he looked like an idiot crawling along on the highway; felt like screaming because everyone was zooming past him; felt like pulling his hair out because people kept honking their horns and he couldn’t retaliate because that would make him look like even more of a fool with that fucking ice cream truck jingle!

     And the bastard kept calling him princess! Did it almost every chance he could get on Saturday. Did he look like a girl? No! He may act like one on occasion… okay, rather all the time, but still! He wasn’t a fucking girl therefore calling him princess was stupid! Imbecilic! Grounds to be murdered. Maybe he’d start calling the idiot Rambo. Though he didn’t really resemble Rambo. Jared’s body was much leaner. Very beautiful. Damien didn’t like them too muscular. “Fuck! Stop thinking about it.”

     Finally after what seemed like frustrated eons, he arrived at Allmsted. Damien took a moment to lean against the car door to worry. He wrapped an arm around his stomach and started to bite his thumbnail. How was he going to handle living with Jared for three days in London? This desire for Jared wasn’t anything like his desire for other guys. It wasn’t fleeting. It wasn’t a one moment thing. It was all the time. Enjoying the bastard’s company all the time. Even when he was annoyed. When they worked as well.

     Jared was good at what he did. Damien had never been able to deny that. He was the epitome of professional at work and he didn’t take any shit from the VP’s who thought they knew more because they were older. Generally that’s how it would work. The elders knew more than the juniors in business. But Damien had grown up being taught by his father and Jared was a business prodigy. A freaking genius from Oxford! But back to the point. His resolve was weakening. He couldn’t continue to pretend anymore.

     Did he even want to? Jared was throwing out some signals that he may not be averse to being hit on by him… and that thought had Damien’s breath hitching, making it hard for him to breathe. Half in panic, half in desire. The panic, as always, came from knowing if he ever became involved with the man seven years his senior, it would last longer than one night.

     Damien had only ever had a relationship with one person and that was Tony when they were just starting high school, right before his abduction, and his best friend was the only partner he’d ever kissed. One of Damien’s firm rules when he went with or took a lover home was No Kissing. He didn’t kiss. Believed it was too personal and he’d never really cared to do it either. The only use he had for a lover’s lips was to feel them wrapped around his cock. But with Jared… he caught himself staring often at his lips. Wondering how he tasted. Wondering how those smirking lips would feel against his own…

       This was all so personal that it scared the shit out of him. He’d never wanted to commit before. The thought had sickened him. Even now, the thought still made him feel slightly sick. But the fact was: he liked Jared too much for it to be only a one-night fuck. He’d known that, or partly, the first time he’d ever laid eyes on the man. Which was why he’d immediately tried to hate Jared Newton. To keep his heart thoroughly frozen. To keep his mental state from crumbling. But… how long could he keep fighting this? The more he learned about Jared, the more he liked. The more he wanted. Jared was... Jared. Oh God, he was incredible.

     “Don’t know what to do,” he whined as he pulled out his phone and scrolled his numbers before choosing one.

     _“Sweetie, you know we have class. Like now.”_

“What do I do, She?” he cried. “I don’t know what to do?”

    

* * *

 

Sheera dropped her cell back into her backpack and entered the classroom, biting her lip in worry. So Damien had finally cracked. She’d seen it coming the moment they had all interacted with Newton and the animosity had faded. Those two would be good together. She suspected they both knew it too. Newton didn’t seem to mind it, but Damien… he’d been fighting it for two years. And although she knew it was coming, Sheera thought Damien would have been stubborn and continued to fight it for a long time to come. That didn’t seem to be the case now. Not with the way he’d just cried out his sorrows of wanting Jared and his fears about it. His insistence that he couldn’t go on with the way things were because it was quickly driving him crazy- crazier than what was usual for him.

     She’d told him to calm down and go to class, promising they’d talk through it after classes were over. Unfortunately, Damien had to go to work after classes so they made plans to meet after he picked up his work. Sheera had to work after school, but she planned to call in. If Jake didn’t like it, he could kiss her ass. Since Damien often bought out the male line in the store, Strathom could damn well let her take time off to see to her best friend and his major profits.

     Damien did go to classes, but he couldn’t have recalled anything he was supposed to have learned. He didn’t quite remember slipping into the company car he’d called after his first class to pick him up after classes- there was no way in hell he was driving the Jag until it was fixed. And the drive to his office was all a blur. After arriving, Damien rushed into the high-rise building, eyes wide and wild as he scanned the faces around him, acting like a fool and ducking whenever he thought he caught sight of Jared. He made it to the elevators and glared murder at anyone who tried to step on with him.

     When the doors reopened, only a head of blue-black hair and a pale face poked out, eyes still wide, scanning the floor. When all was clear, Damien darted out of the elevator, practically running to his secretary’s desk. Jared knew his timetable, knew he’d be at work by now. Lingering out of his office was not a good idea. Not when he wasn’t in any state to meet with Jared.

     “Tiffany. Anything you have for me. Quick!” he hissed, arm outstretched, palm up.

     “Yes, Mr. Shrod,” she looked at him oddly as she handed over his messages and the reports needing a look over and a signature.

     “Great, thanks. Hold my calls. In case Newton inquires, I’m not here.” And with that he spun around and went to his office directly across from her desk. Quietly he opened the door and slipped in. He held his breath as he shut and locked it. Then he raced to the adjoining door and locked that one as well.

     Slumping in his chair, Damien dropped his head to his desk, barely realizing he was whimpering. He was hiding from the object of his affections. This was so fucked!

 

* * *

 

     Jared strode down the hall, a smile playing on his lips. He was looking forward to Damien’s wrath. Seeing the enraged look on the man’s face. “Shrod in yet?” he asked as he passed Tiffany’s desk to automatically open Damien’s door.

     “Ah! No, sir! No! He’s not in, sir.”

     Jared turned with brow raised. He frowned once he scanned her desk and noticed the reports and memos that had been there twenty minutes before were now gone. She evaded his gaze after realizing he’d caught her in the lie. Jared turned back to the door, realizing Damien had told her to do it. He grasped the doorknob and tried to turn it, only to find it locked. Jared resisted the urge to huff and strode the ten steps down the hall to his own office and then tried the connecting doors. That one was locked as well.

     Because he would feel like an idiot knocking, even though he knew Damien was inside, Jared went to his desk where he sat and stared at the door. He knew Damien well enough to know there was no way the man would have already calmed down about his car. And Damien wasn’t the type to give the silent treatment as a way of punishment. Jared felt something was wrong. Not once since they’d been given adjoining offices had Damien ever locked the door; not even when Jared was being a bastard to him.

     Leaning forward, he pressed a button on his phone. “Damien. I know you’re inside. Why are you hiding?”

     From within his office, Damien slouched in his seat, lowered so much that only his eyes were visible over the edge of his desk.

     _“Princess…”_ the voice taunted. _“Surely you’re not still upset over a piece of metal?”_

Damien’s eyes narrowed, but he refused to answer in any way.

     _“Damien.”_ Said man gasped at the angry way his name had been called. And Jared’s voice seemed to be closer, as if the man in the other office had moved to hover his lips right over the microphone. _“You can’t hide from me forever.”_ Now those words were practically growled.

Damien flushed as he surged to his feet, trying to ignore the excited tingle racing down his spine as he grabbed his briefcase, opened it and shoved all his papers in. _Need to get out of here. Suffocating…_

He bolted from his office and smacked straight into Jared’s chest. His eyes flew wide as he backed up and clutched his briefcase tightly against his chest.

     “Breathe, goddammit,” Jared hissed, placing a hand on Damien’s shoulder and shaking him rather harshly. God, the fear on Damien’s pale face was unbridled. And his eyes swam with terror. Ignoring the curious stares from their secretaries and assistants and anyone else who was passing through the hallway, Jared leaned forward, placing a hand on Damien’s cheek while concern swam in his eyes as well as in his voice. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

     “You- you’re scaring me,” Damien whispered in a strangled breath.

     Jared released him as if burnt and immediately backed away, watching as Damien quickly fled. Jared lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck as he returned to his office and shut the door. He dropped his forehead against it and closed his eyes. That had been the worst yet. He couldn’t stand those looks. Didn’t like to think Damien was scared of anything, most especially him. What could have possible set him off this time? Whatever it was, Jared was determined to keep it from happening again. If that meant he had to…

     Jared pulled away from the door and slowly walked to the desk, staring blankly at it. If that meant he had to keep his distance from now on... Something inside him snapped. The thought of having to keep away from Damien caused him unbelievable pain. Jared’s face contorted and he lashed out in a rage, swiping everything off his desk in his fury over his resigned decision.

     He ground his teeth as he bent over his desk, fingers clutching the edge so hard his knuckles were turning white. He would stay away and suffer for Damien’s sake. That man had been through so much in his life already- just as he had- and he refused to add to Damien’s turmoil.

 

* * *

 

“You’re shaking like a leaf!” Sheera cried when she opened the door and found Damien standing on her doorstep, looking like a neglected kitten. All that was missing was the rain drenched clothes. She pulled him inside and kicked the door shut with her heel before leading him upstairs to her bedroom.

     “I made a fool of myself,” he mumbled.

     “Okay,” Sheera pulled back her covers and climbed in, then held her hands out for him to slide in beside her. “Since I know what this is about, we’re going to dig right in.”

     Damien slid in next to her and dropped his head to her lumpy chest, wrinkling his nose. “I don’t want-”

     “We’re talking about this now, Damien. You’re not leaving here until we’ve resolved this- stop trying to shove my tits aside. They aren’t pillows to fluff and they aren’t going away!”

     “Pity.”

     “You want a relationship with him. That’s why you’re freaking out. It’s time, you know. Not everyone is out to crush you and this man is definitely not out to get you.”

     Damien blew out a breath. “He cares about me. He shouldn’t.”

     Sheera shook him roughly. “That’s stupid talk, moron. Personally I think you need to go ahead and seduce the pants right off him,” she smiled. “It’ll take you two point five seconds before his willing cock is shoved up your ass.”

     “Fuck, She! The visuals!”

     “Great, isn’t it? Look. We all see it. He’s always staring at you, Damien. And he’s always looking at your ass. All the damn time! On Friday… it was so funny. You should have seen the look on his face when I suggested he go help you out when you went to jack off. His hands were shaking!”

     “How is this helping me?”

     “I guess it doesn’t. But I so love to feel a fag’s hard cock pressed against my thigh. Makes me so horny.”

     Damien laughed. Couldn’t help it. “And they say I have issues.”

     Sheera sighed and ran her fingers through his hair. “You already know what you want,” she stated. “All you need to do is figure out how. Damien, you’re one of the smartest people I know… you can get through this.”

     “I’ll mess it up. I’m too fucked up not to.”

     “He’s well aware of you. Your personalities. Jared’s a strong man, stubborn. You’re well matched. I think… you’d have to work very hard at it to do something that might fuck it up.”

     “It probably won’t last.”

     “Then brush yourself off and move on. It’s not like you’re alone, idiot. You have your friends and we’ll be here for you. Always. We love you.”

     Damien sighed and tightened the arms he had around her. She was right. Obviously. “I love you, She. Love everything about you. Except your tits. They’re disgusting. And your pussy too.”

     “Your pillow talk is always the best.”

     Shane burst through the door a few hours later, excitement written all over his face.  

     “Sheera! Oh my god. I have the best… job.” Shane blinked and then stared, having run in to see Sheera and Damien in bed. Damien was sitting there, poking at Sheera’s bra covered breasts.

     “It’s so gooey. Really don’t see the appeal. What’s so great about sucking on mammary glands?”

     “Sick! I’m outta here!” Shane slammed out of the room and ran into the one person he wanted to see.

     Damien stuck his head out of Sheera’s room, looking to see if the freshman was actually traumatized and laughed when Shane grabbed fist full of Tony’s shirt and jerked his boyfriend’s lips to his.

     “Thank God you’re here,” Shane muttered moments later. “I need something hard against me. In me. Now.” And then he started dragging a very amiable Tony to his room. “Just heard the most disgusting thing…”

* * *

 Damien seethed as he slammed his apartment door closed. The bastard was avoiding him. Just when he decided to push his fears away, Newton decides it’s a great time to return to being a bastard. They hadn’t really talked since that time in the hallway. Damien saw not one hair of his partner unless they were in a meeting. And they talked then, but that was all about business. Personal discussions never took place within meetings. It was the way they worked. And as soon as a meeting was over, Newton would disappear and he was never in his office when Damien checked. He wasn’t anywhere! He’d tried calling. Jared would answer, but as soon as he realized Damien was looking for a chat, the motherfucker would make some excuse and quickly hang up.

     Sheera told him to work on Jared during the London trip. Surely Jared couldn’t avoid him then. Damien supposed that was true, but… he was afraid Jared really did think him a fool. Still, he would try in London because he wanted Jared, and Damien Shrod the III always got what he wanted.

     Unfortunately things didn’t go as planned. First, the bastard flew to London a day early. His father and a memo from Jared explained it was to get his house ready, as there hadn’t been anyone there in months. So there would be no encounters on a small jet. Damien had to fly there alone. But at least he got some work done. And then when the car dropped him off at a small two story house, Jared met him on the steps, gave him a key, and then took off, stating he had things to do.

     And it was like that the entire weekend. Once again, Damien only saw Jared during the meetings which lasted all fucking day and after the meetings Jared disappeared all together. Not once did Damien see the man at his house. Damien came to assume Jared had a lover somewhere in London. He was so upset by this thought that he took an earlier flight home, not even bothering to attend the concert. He seeped into the worst depression he’d ever been in.

     A week had passed since that trip and Damien now sat in his apartment, sitting on his couch with his legs drawn up and knees pressed against his chest. He dropped his head to his knees when someone started knocking on the door. He ignored it and the voices of his friends. He changed the locks so they couldn’t let themselves in. He would probably give them keys to the new locks in a few weeks, maybe. But now he didn’t want anyone’s company.

     Damien had been odd at work as well. Always walking around with his head down, never smiled anymore, looking completely lost. He barely managed to complete his work, could hardly stand to be there. His co-workers were very worried and missed his enthusiasm, missed the way he always tried to put a smile on everyone’s faces. Being ignored by Jared was causing far more harm than anyone could have ever suspected. But of course, no one knew exactly why Damien was acting the way he was.

     Outside the door, Damien’s friends looked at each other. “What the fuck is going on?” Tony murmured. None of them had seen or heard from Damien all week, and that was more than worrying.

     Sheera bit her lip, a guilty flush on her face. “Um… Damien cracked,” she whispered. “About Newton.”

     Tony, Mai, and Caleb looked floored. “You mean…” Mai whispered.

     Sheera nodded.

     “What?” Shane demanded.

     Tony dropped an arm over his shoulders. “Damien decided he wanted a real relationship. Not a one night stand. How did it happen?”

     “He called me. He was panicking because he decided to stop pretending, but the thought of acting on his feelings was too much for him. He was so afraid… But we talked about it and eventually he decided to go for it.”

       “There’s more, isn’t there?” Caleb inquired after a few moments of silence.

     “Jared backed off for some reason. Before they went to London, Damien said he was being avoided.”

     “Why would he do that?”

     “Don’t know,” Sheera murmured. “But Damien refused to give up and was determined to get Jared in London. He was really excited. He even had this stupid Seduce Jared Newton plan…”

       They all turned to the door and Mai shook her head. “Guess it didn’t turn out how he wanted. Otherwise, he would have called every one of us the moment something happened.”

     “After all that, the fucker rejected him?” Caleb hissed.

     Sheera nodded. “Must have.” Then her face crumpled and Shane was dismayed to see her eyes watering. “This is fucked. He was doing so well. This would have been so good for him. To stop being afraid to lean on someone other than us. He’ll never want to try to find love. Never! He’ll never open up to anyone ever again.” She looked at Shane. “You have no idea how surprised and relieved we were when he took to you. When he trusted you so quickly. Damien just doesn’t do that. Not after… what happened to him.”

     “What do we do now?” Shane asked.

     “He’s not going to let us in. No matter how long we stand out here. The only chance we have of talking to him is catching him when he’s out and about,” Mai said.

     Tony’s face expressed the anger he was feeling. “Someone needs to talk to Newton.”

     “You do it,” Caleb said. “You’re the only one who can beat him up.”

    

* * *

 

When not at work and trying to keep his eyes off… him, Jared spent his time at home trying to figure out what Caleb was up to. Despite keeping his distance from the Drama Queen, that didn’t mean he was going to stop watching out for Damien and his friends. Currently he was sitting at home, rereading Caleb’s file.

     Caleb’s home life was what currently interested Jared. The bloke had a mother, an older sister and a younger brother. The younger brother was a junior in high school, while the sister had graduated from Allmsted’s nursing school last year and currently held a position at Harris Hospital downtown, working in the ICU. The siblings were very close from what he could see and Caleb was the man of the house as his father had died from a heart attack ten years ago.

     So this led to possibilities of why Caleb was keeping the trouble to himself. He was far more likely to keep it quiet from his friends if this trouble had to do with his family, probably one of his siblings. Jared was willing to bet it was the younger brother, as he was noted to be something of a punk. But he wasn’t going to cross out the possibility of it being the sister either. Maybe she had an ex boyfriend who was giving her problems. Or a current boyfriend who was abusive. Whatever it was, Jared was going to need a closer look at both siblings before moving on to other possibilities. And he was definitely going to try and grill Caleb again whenever he saw him next.

     The doorbell drew him from his thoughts. Jared dropped the file on the coffee table before walking to the door and looking through the peephole. He sighed and looked to the ceiling when he saw who it was. The look on his visitor’s face told him exactly why they had come over. Jared unlocked the door and opened it wide before moving back into the apartment without a backward glance. He heard the door close softly as he scooped up the file and crossed the living room into his office, where he dropped the file on his desk.

     “Don’t suppose you came for a friendly chat?” he asked after returning to the living room.

     Tony’s eyes narrowed. “Why would I have a friendly anything with someone who has thrown Damien into his worst depression yet?”

     “Didn’t think so. Look, I don’t know what I did that day, but something set him off. I’ve been trying to help.”

       “How?!” Tony exploded. “How do you suppose ignoring him is helping in any way? I thought you… you wanted to see him on another level! How are you going to throw out subtle signs like that and then completely ignore him when he decides he’s ready to face up to his attraction to you? And don’t give me that look. You’ve been oozing sexual tension. Don’t bother trying to deny it. You want him.

     “He decided to take a chance! One he hasn’t ever taken before! And what do you do? You fucking avoid him like he’s the plague. Are you really that much of a cold hearted bastard? Dude, he’s a zombie now! You’ve fucked him up! He hasn’t talked to us, doesn’t see any of us. He’s changed the lock on his damn door! The only reason why we know he’s still alive is because he finally called me for five seconds to announce he was still breathing!”

     “Are you finished?” Jared turned away from the seething man. “I don’t understand half of what you said-”

     “Fuck that! You understood me!”

    “But I do know two weeks ago something I did terrified him so I backed off.”

       Tony unclenched his fist and blew out the breath he’d pulled in for another rant. “Two weeks ago?”

     “He locked himself in his office. Tried to avoid me. I caught him out in the hall and he was terrified. Claimed I was scaring him. And like I said, I backed off. Look, Tony. I’m only doing what I thought was best for him… even when I don’t want to. I don’t understand why he’s so depressed. I thought this is what he would prefer.”

     “Don’t you get it? Haven’t you figured it out by now? Man, he needs your attention! He wants it… Damien was going to seduce you in London,” Tony blurted out without meaning to. But then again, he thought some understanding should be made because obviously miscommunication was running rampant.

     Jared stood there looking as if his brain had run away. “Come again?”

     Tony cracked a grin. He liked this stupid look. Made up for all the taunts thrown his way. “Maybe you really didn’t understand. I said he was ready to face up to his attraction. He planned to seduce you in London, but your ass disappeared on him right after the meetings. Said he didn’t see you at all. And he was so upset he skipped out on that concert he was constantly talking about.”

     Jared was rubbing his chin. “Erm… I did have other business to attend to when I was there… Really?”

     Tony laughed outright. “Yeah, man. And he’s not looking for a one-night fuck. You have to know this is a first for him. That’s why he was freaking out about you two weeks ago. He came to the decision and didn’t know how to deal with it….” He narrowed green eyes at Jared. “You are going to stop avoiding him now, right?”

     Jared nodded distractedly. Tony then turned around to the kitchen. Now that that was taken care of, he figured now they could have that friendly chat. “Caleb says you have a gang tattoo. Is that true? On your hip?”

     Jared’s eyes cleared and he watched Tony rummage through his fridge as if he’d been invited. “Caleb’s observant. How did he figure that out? Is he in a gang?”

     Tony snorted as he pulled two beers out. “No way. He’s too smart for that. But he’s acquainted with some people who run like that. But we’ll get back to Caleb in a minute. I want to talk about something else for a minute.”

     “Make yourself at home,” Jared grumbled as he accepted one of his beers then flopped down on the couch. “So talk.”

     “Show me the tattoos. I want to figure it out.”

     “Fine.” Jared set the beer on the table before turning around and pulling the back of his t-shirt over his head. He was only showing Tony because he didn’t think the man would get it.

     Tony studied the tattoo for a few moments. He knew Latin and so understood the phrase, and the picture was pretty obvious. “Okay. Now the other one.”

     Tony leaned forward to look at the shamrock, his brow rising as he studied the symbols beneath them. Then he looked into Jared’s face, eyes wide in shock. “You’re really involved in that? But you’re British… aren’t you?”

     Well fuck! How the hell had he figured it out? “It’s complicated. And no, I’m not explaining anything.” Jared frowned as he leaned forward to snatch his cell from the coffee table, fingering it. No one had put it together so quickly. No one of consequence had put it together at all. He wondered how far Tony’s mind would run around it. The fact that Tony had figured it out at all in so little time was very impressive. He wondered what kind of knowledge Tony had on the organization.

     Okay, so he’d officially been thrown for a loop. Damien had planned a seduction? This whole time… and he’d been avoiding the man. He groaned, knowing how that could have dented Damien’s self esteem. Once again he’d fucked up. But, and here he perked up, he now knew how he could proceed with his boss’s son.

     Tony leaned back and watched Jared punch in Damien’s number. The man looked distracted and Tony wondered if he realized he was doing it. The fact that he was calling Damien immediately also said a lot about how Jared felt about the Shrod heir. “So are you going to help us find out what going on with Caleb? Cause he’s not going to tell us. He would have done it already.”

     “I’m going to find out. You five can stay out of my way,” Jared said as he brought the phone to his ear.

     “He’s not going to answe-”

     _“FUCK OFF, NEWTON! I DON’T CARE IF THIS IS ABOUT WORK. YOU CAN DROP DEAD!! I HATE YOU! DO YOU HEAR ME? CAN’T BELIEVE I-”_ Damien’s voice ended in a choke and the line quickly went dead.

     “Wow, he answered. Must have caught him at a good hour.”

     Jared snorted before turning to Tony, his face serious. “His fear of relationships… that’s why he would freak out on me at times?”

     “Yeah. That’s why he continued to pretend to hate you, why he was being so stubborn and stupidly insisting you were a homophobe, because he’s liked you all this time. And he didn’t want to. We really didn’t catch on to that until after you’d started to hang with us, but then it became obvious why’d he have panic attacks with you around or after you’d just gone. Getting personal is a big no no for him. He’s even got this stupid rule about no kissing and no fucking in his bedroom…”

     “He’s going to get pissed you told me all this.”

     Tony shrugged. “Pay back for taping Shane and me.”

     Jared prepared to send another taunt about that when his doorbell rang and he became distracted.

     “At least you know it’s not Damien come to kill you. He wouldn’t have been able to get here that fast,” Tony murmured as he pulled his cell out to check the time while Jared went to answer the door. Shane should be off by now and he’d promised to call. He looked at Jared in confusion when the man returned to his seat without answering the door.

     “It’s for you,” Jared waved him to the door. “And I’d appreciate it if you kept your knowledge on the meaning of my tattoos a secret.”

     “Sure.” Jared watched Tony answer the door to find a fuming Shane on the threshold.

     “T-Tony! What’re you doing here?” Shane hissed, shuffling in embarrassment and flushed with anger.

     “Came to chew the bastard out. Like you…” Tony pushed a hand into Shane’s hair, gripping the back of his head and yanked the younger man against him. “Missed you.”

       “Stop trying to…” Shane gasped when Tony started nibbling on his bottom lip. “Distract me.”

     Jared’s mouth quirked in amusement when Shane grabbed Tony’s shoulders to push him off, but at the last moment, ended up digging into the brunet’s muscles for support. A brow went up when the two took it deeper, making it hot and heavy and Tony- probably unconsciously- began to push Shane back until the freshman was pressed against something solid, which happened to the outer hall wall.

     “Oi! Stop loitering in the hall! I do have neighbors!” he was ignored. They continued at it and soon he had flashes of their Damien made porn going through his head. “You two doing that in front of me has me thinking about that phone video!”

     That worked. Shane pulled his head back and then over to glare at Jared. “Jack ass! You cold hearted mother- mmmph!”

     Tony had slapped a hand over Shane’s mouth and bent over to whisper something in the shorter man’s ear. Moment’s later Shane pulled back, looking shocked. “You mean…” Tony nodded and went on with his whispering. “Oh! Ohhhh,” Shane started laughing, but suddenly cut off. “You have to do something then! I saw Damien at school today. He looked… cold. And he brushed me off.”

     “Could you two either leave or get in here. I don’t like my door standing wide open.”

     Shane and Tony quickly entered the apartment. Not two minutes after it was shut was someone knocking on it again. Tony laughed at the annoyance crossing Jared’s face.

     “Should I expect the rest of you to show up?”

     “No. I was sent because I’m the only one who could do any physical damage to you,” Tony remarked. “No one else is coming.”

     “Why’s he here then?” Jared jerked his thumb at Shane as he passed to the door.

     “Shane’s a nosy brat.”

     “Asshole.”

     Jared checked whom it was this time and cursed softly. “Fuck me,” he murmured.

     “Damien wanted to. But you messed that right up,” Shane shot.

     Jared lifted a finger without turning around. He took a deep breath- because surely this was going to be painful (mostly for his ears) and opened the door to the only man he’d ever really feared beside himself.

     “Slumming, old man?”

     “Shut your mouth and step aside.” The words were all but growled and Jared immediately followed the order. The moment Shrod caught sight of Tony and Shane he stopped short and threw them a furious glare.

     “Um…” Shane began, but Tony took his wrist and squeezed.

     “They came here to rip me a new one, Shrod. They aren’t conspiring against your son,” Jared quickly announced.

     “Privacy.”

     Jared immediately led Shrod to his office. As soon as the door closed behind them, the shouting started, all on Mr. Shrod’s side. Shane winced and pressed against Tony’s side, but he kept his ears open. It was like listening to a Drill Sergeant because every once in a while they would hear Jared murmuring a “yes, sir. No, sir.”

     “EXPLAIN YOURSELF!” Several minutes passed in silence until Mr. Shrod’s barking laughter penetrated it.

   “IT’S NOT FUNNY, SHROD!”

     Tony lifted a brow. No one raised his or her voice to Damien’s father… except for Damien and yet Mr. Shrod continued to laugh and moments later the door opened.

     Mr. Shrod was chuckling and shaking his head. “Really Jared, how could misunderstand so much?”

     “It’s not like I know everything that goes on in his head. How was I supposed to know? He goes all pale and his eyes get round as if I’m about to shoot him in the head or something. What was I supposed to do? Force myself on him. Make him die from a panic attack? Wasn’t going to keep doing it to him. I was only trying to protect him.”

     Shrod waved all that away. “Well now that you have all the facts, you can rectify the situation. Immediately.”

     “I plan on it.”

     “Wonderful.” Shrod turned around and leveled his gaze on Shane. “Now then, Williamson. Have you found Shrod Corporations to your liking?”

       Shane jumped up, a wide excited smile on his face and approached Mr. Shrod. And then proceeded to exclaim how happy he was with the job, going into extensive detail about it and waving his hands in the air to emphasize his points. Mr. Shrod stood there, thoroughly enraptured by the young man’s enthusiasm.

     Jared scowled as he sank down beside Tony. The green eyed brunet smirked at the pink tinge on the other man’s face.

     “Shut it, Candon. Not one word.”

     “Wasn’t going to say anything.”

      

* * *

 

 Damien had started going to work only on Saturdays and Sundays and staying most of the day in order to make up for avoiding the office on workdays when Newton would undoubtedly be in. He fingered the newly dyed blond hair, contemplating on getting a hair cut later as he stared unseeing at the laptop screen in front of him. Why had Newton called him the night before? Maybe he should have let him speak before yelling the man’s ear off. But, no. He didn’t care to hear whatever Newton had wanted to say. He didn’t need that bastard. Didn’t need to hear his posh British accent, that low smooth drawl. Didn’t need anything from him.

     Damien’s cell started vibrating and he picked it up to see his father was calling him. “Hello, Daddy.”

     _“And where are you?”_

     “At work.”

     _“You’re at work on Saturday. Why?”_

     “To catch up. What can I do for you?”

     There was a moment of silence, and then, _“you’ll be having dinner with myself and a few associates tonight. At our regular place.”_

     Damien sighed and closed his laptop. “Must I? I’m not up-”

     _“You will be there, son.”_

     “Will Newton be there?”

     _“No,”_ was the immediately answer. _“Eight sharp. Understand?”_

     “Yes, Daddy.”

     _“Damien, why don’t you cut work today and go shopping? Go and buy a new outfit. Do something to raise your spirits.”_

     “I need to go now.”  
     His father sighed. _“Alright… try not to be too late tonight.”_

     “Bye, Daddy.”

     _“Good bye, son.”_

Damien stood and dropped his cell into his pocket before packing up and leaving. He had no desire whatsoever to attend this business dinner. But he couldn’t very well deny his father, especially when it was apparent by the tone of his father’s voice that he was worried about him. Besides, at least he wouldn’t be tormented with Newton’s presence at Luigi’s. Maybe he would go shopping; it would most definitely help keep his mind off a certain gray eyed fantasy.

 


	13. Episode Thirteen

Luigi’s was an upscale restaurant in the center of town. A place only the very wealthy frequented. Damien had been going to dinner there for years with his father and was very comfortable with the posh atmosphere. Tonight though he wasn’t in the mood to feel comfortable with anything and he hoped his father didn’t expect him to be overly accommodating with the dinner guests sharing their table.

     He made sure to visibly express that by dressing down and forgoing the formal dinner suit he would usually wear during business dinners. Tonight he chose to wear a silk shirt matching his eyes and black slacks. But to slightly appease his father, he did throw on a black dinner jacket. With the collar fashionably turned out. Just because he hated the world at the moment didn’t mean he would stop looking fabulous.

     Damien swept into the restaurant, flashed a half smile at the hostess, and went on in, as he knew exactly which table his father was sitting at. It was their table after all and it was situated in the center of the restaurant. Damien saw two men were already sitting with his father and he inwardly groaned. One man was well passed his sixties and with a face full of gray hair and went by the name of Mr. Gerald Idiot. Well… not really Idiot. It was actually Billums, but the man was an idiot as far as Damien was concerned. Idiot was the owner of a company, tiny compared to Shrod Corp, and his father occasionally used Billums’ services. Mr. Idiot’s most annoying trait was the fucking facial hair. Damien hated facial hair. The only facial he could stand was the five o’clock shadow and morning stubble.

     And Mr. Idiot had brought his son, David. _Hurray…insert sarcasm here._ Damien met David Billums only once before. Despite what Mr. Idiot and his own father thought, Damien was well aware of Mr. Idiot’s son’s sexuality, and the last time they met, the man had tried all night to get into his pants. Damien snorted. He did have standards and Mr. Idiot Jr. didn’t fit into any. Especially when after the first rejection, Billums practically tried to force himself on Damien. That guy was only breathing because they’d been in the middle of a very influential gathering and Damien had had more important things on his mind.

     “Daddy,” he greeted upon arriving at the table, and then he turned to the other two and gave them curt nods. “Mr. I- Billums.” He cracked a small smile as he took a seat, catching sight of his father’s thinning lips. His father was quite familiar with his nickname for Mr. Billums. “Am I late? No?” he sighed dramatically. “Suppose I can try harder next time.”

     “Damien, how are you?” David inquired; his voice low, purposely pitched to what the man thought was sexy. Damien closed his eyes before rolling them.

     “Still breathing,” he replied with another heavy sigh.

     Shrod cleared his throat and both Billums’ attentions instantly went to him. Damien smiled. His father still had these two under his thumb. Maybe if he asked nicely, Daddy might squash them. “You must forgive my son,” he said to the Billums. “Damien’s been under the weather as of late.”

     Damien’s small smile disappeared and he shot a withering glare at his father.

     David placed a hand on his arm. “It’s a shame you’ve been ill. Maybe there’s something I could do to help with your recovery.”

     Damien barely resisted the urge to scratch young Idiot’s muddy eyes out. “Very unlikely.” He jerked his arm away. “Whom else are we expecting?” he hissed, indicating the open seat across from him.

     His father didn’t answer as he was too busy staring at David, his eyes narrowed in anger.Mr. Idiot seemed to catch on that his son had angered Shrod because now he was shifting uncomfortably and looking worried. _You should be. No one touches me without my permission!_ Damien shuddered uncontrollably and just as he stood to take himself off to the bathroom- he had the uncontrollable urge to vomit- a shadow fell over the table.

     He raised his eyes to find it was Newton standing there. He sank back into his seat as gray eyes bore into his, unblinking. Damien forgot how to breathe. This was the first time in weeks the man had looked him in the eye. And he couldn’t remember the last time Newton had looked at him so intently. He only realized he stopped breathing when the bastard smirked at him.

     Damien raised his chin and turned a crazed smile on his father. “I thought you said Newton would not be joining us.”

     “Hmm. Did I? My mistake,” Shrod turned to Jared as Damien’s eyes bulged with rage. “Have a seat. You know I can’t stand it when you hover.”

     Jared nodded and sat. Pleased that the open seat was directly across from Damien, who was currently eyeing one of the forks before him in a terrifying way.

     “Now that we’re all here, we can get the business out of the way,” Shrod turned to the Billums and Jared was intrigued with the burning anger surrounding his boss. “I’ve decided Shrod Corporations will no longer need Billums’ services.” His eyes cut to David Billums. “I’ve just made that decision. Perhaps you’ll teach your son to keep his hands to himself from now on, Gerald. You wouldn’t want to lose any more business because of him. Good evening, gentleman.”

     And that was that. There was no arguing. Once Damien Shrod made a decision, you’d best accept it or face his wrath. The Billums quickly left; Mr. Billums hissing at his son under his breath, and Jared watched them go, furiously wondering how exactly did David touch Damien.

     “It’s been taken care of, Jared. Forget it,” Shrod ordered.

     _Yay! Daddy squashed them!_ However, “that stupid little insignificant company could be useful at times.”

     Shrod’s face was the picture of stone, and his tone no different. “It will become extinct.”

     “ _Whatever_ you big fat liar!”

     “Told you, son,” Shrod finally relaxed and he sounded amused, “I made a mistake.”

     “Anyway… Since business is over, you can send Newton on his happy little fucked up way.”

     “What’s the matter, princess? You don’t want my company?” Jared smirked when Damien’s eye twitched.

     “Since when have I ever wanted it?” he asked through gritted teeth. When Jared’s smirk simply grew, Damien stood. “I’m going home to disinfect my body.” He absolutely did not notice Jared’s eyes sweep him from head to thigh, only stopping there because of the table. Absolutely did not notice that!

     “Sit down, Damien. We’ll have dinner before leaving.”

     “But that little grub touched me!”

     “And I took care of it.”

     “I’m going home,” he insisted.

     “Sit!”

     Damien dropped into his seat and picked up his fork, staring at it as if willing it to do something. Shrod sighed and took it from him. “Don’t make me think you need more therapy.”

     “Is it a crime to use one’s imagination?”

     “Yours? Certainly.”

     Jared snorted and Shrod’s lips quirked. “No amused sounds from you, Jared. Your imagination is as deadly as Damien’s.”

     “True,” Jared replied, his eyes not once leaving Damien’s face, “but at least I can keep a cool head.”

     Damien’s eyes widened and he looked suitably outraged. He finally stopped ignoring Jared and looked at him, his mouth opening as if to blast the man. But the hot look in Jared’s eyes caused his mouth to snap shut and he looked away again.

     Shrod shook his head and raised a hand. Instantly a waiter appeared beside the table. “Ready to order, sir?”

     “Yes. Quite,” Damien snapped. “The usual. And a bottle of my favorite.”

     The next hour was excruciating. Damien spent every moment of it wishing for escape because it seemed Newton was trying to make up for every second of avoiding Damien by staring him down even while he conducted a light hearted discussion with his father. Damien was unsure as to what Newton’s problem was. He spent the last two weeks dodging him, and now he was acting as if that had never happened. And every time Damien deigned to give Newton the time of day, the man was always looking at him with an intense gaze. It was really unnerving.

     “Is there something you want, Newton?” he finally snapped.

     For the first time that night, Jared smiled. It wasn’t a smirk or a sneer or a leer. Just a teeth showing smile. “Not at present.”

     Damien mentally screamed when his dick twitched at the smile. At a stupid fucking heart stopping smile!

     Shrod imperceptibly leaned back to study the two, trying not to draw attention and break the two men’s locked gazes. Shrod wasn’t a particularly romantic man, and was never known to be too sentimental, but he couldn’t help but confess the air practically thrummed around the table. How could these two not have acted out on this attraction before now? Shrod was nearly suffocating from the high tension from both of them. It was always there when they were together. A passion of some sort and this was the first time, Shrod realized, the two were finally aware of what that was. Or at least it was the first time they were admitting it, even if words hadn’t been spoken.

     Shaking his head slightly, Shrod was more than a little surprised at himself that he didn’t feel uncomfortable watching them. Not at all uncomfortable with the fact these two were probably going to start seeing each other. Despite being a militant, a mercenary, and seven years Damien’s senior, Jared was a strong intelligent man and he was the perfect match for his son. As a co-operator and as a domestic partner. He couldn’t think of another person he’d want to see his son with. And again, it just happened to be another lucky coincidence that Jared had been handpicked to be Damien’s last cushion. The last of Damien’s Security. Shrod hadn’t intended for them to become a couple when he first decided upon and sought out Jared Newton and offered him a job. It just turned out that way.

     “Damien, you’ve been very quiet tonight,” he finally said when he’d had enough of the tension.

     His son dragged his eyes away from the man sitting opposite and turned to him with a sneer. “You seem well enough talking with your super tool, Father. And truthfully, I have no wish to speak to liars or bastard pricks. I’ll leave you two to decide on which one of you is which. As far as this dinner is concerned,” Damien threw his napkin onto the table beside of his half eaten dinner, “I’ve had quite enough. Good night.”

     Shrod watched, half enraged, as Damien stormed away without heeding any of his threats. Then he turned glaring eyes on the amused man beside him. “You’ve turned my son very disagreeable.”

     “Me?!”

    

* * *

      By the time Damien dragged himself out of his elevator, he was exhausted. Weary to the bone from trying to black out every look Jared had thrown his way; tired of pushing back the excitement every one of those looks had induced. Jared was a fucking enigma! What the hell did he think he was doing staring like that all night? And why? Jared was the one who’d been avoiding him. Frankly, Damien didn’t want to care. He decided Jared Newton could go to hell.

     Fifteen minutes later someone was knocking on his door. Assuming it was one of his friends- and hoping it was because he missed them- Damien opened it without checking to see who it was. He then promptly slammed it shut in Jared’s far too handsome face. His fingers shot for the locks, but he wasn’t fast enough, and Jared barreled in before he could touch the first one. The flying door pushed Damien back into the wall.

     “Owie!” Damien wailed as he pulled away from the wall. He quickly retreated out of the hallway to his wide-open living room. “GET OUT!” he shrieked when Jared approached him. “GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!”

     “Are you finished with your tantrum?” Jared asked as he stopped in front of the seething blond.

     “I hate you! Leave me alone,” he moaned as he wrapped his arms around his middle.

     “Would you really want that, Damien? For me to leave you alone?” he asked, placing a firm hand on Damien’s shaking shoulder. The blond glared at the floor without answering. Jared took this as a good sign. “Let me tell you what I want and what’s going to happen now. We’re going to go back to how we were. I’m going to stop avoiding you and you are going to stop hating me.”

     “I do hate you,” Damien murmured petulantly and tried to back away. Only to find a hand pressed against the small of his back, holding him firmly in place.

     “You’re going to stop saying what isn’t true and we’re going to go back to what was slowly built up,” Jared went on, pressing closer and stopping only a breath away. He caught Damien’s chin and tipped his face up, but Damien stared off to the side despite this.

     “Why should I? Why should I stop hating you? I feel like an idiot around you. You were evading me. No one does that and gets away with it!”

     “I kept out of your way because I thought that’s what you wanted, Damien. I didn’t do it to hurt you. I didn’t want to scare you anymore.”

     _Goddammit! I don’t want to believe him! But I have to. I need to! And fuck, I know he’s telling the truth!_

Damien scrunched up his nose as he finally locked gazes and then after a moment he huffed in frustration. “Why is it every time you say something, I absolutely believe it? Unbelievable! And why are you standing so close? I can see blue specks in your eyes. They’re really pretty…” he ended in a high pitched whisper. Jared’s smile was fond and the breath between them disappeared. “What are you doing?” Damien shrieked.

     “It’s going to be very personal this time,” Jared stated with a vast amount of amusement. Without further warning, he pressed his lips to Damien’s.

     The blond was a frozen stick against him, eyes wide and unblinking. But he was hot enough and more than interested, and Jared only wanted to take it further, wanted to sink into him, to push his tongue through and taste… but as soon as Damien relaxed and his eyes began to close, Jared pulled away, smirking. “See you on Monday, princess,” he called, walking to the door.

     Damien blinked drowsily, mind needing a moment to reboot. “Monday… wait. Wait! HOW DARE YOU TAKE LIBERTIES! HEY! NEWTON, I’M TALKING TO YOU!”

     “Settle down, princess. You can yell at me on Monday. Lock the door behind me.” And then he was gone and Damien sank down on the floor, wondering what the hell had just happened.

 

* * *

 

“And then he kissed me! Didn’t even ask. Just kissed me!”

     Shane, who was presently lying on his stomach where he and Damien were lounging on the balcony, snorted. Damien sounded indignant, but the look on his face was of shy excitement. That was such an odd thought. Damien and shy just didn’t seem to go. But something about Jared seemed to make the Shrod heir so. Shane supposed he could relate. He was never one to be shy, but he had been with Tony. Sometimes he still felt shy around the older man. And then sometimes he just blurted out whatever came to mind….

     “Cutie? Are you even listening to me?”

     “He kissed you without asking.”

     Damien huffed. “It wasn’t even a kiss. There was no tongue whatsoever. It was like a friendly peck.”

     “Maybe that’s all it was meant to be… for now. He wants you to be friends first.”

     “How do you know that?”

     “Um… Tony and I were at his place last night. He said he was going to make sure you understood you guys were friends… I don’t know. He’s a weird guy. Just like you.” Shane studied Damien, who was sitting on the floor, back pressed against the patio door, one leg stretched out and another bent at the knee. “You look happy, man. You were only with him for a couple of hours and you look relieved and happy.”

     “Of course! He’s stopped avoiding me which means I can go on and kill him for messing with my beautiful baby! I looked like an idiot, crawling along the road. Mortification doesn’t even cut it.”

     Shane smiled brightly. “It’s so funny that you’ve completely forgiven him for ignoring you.”

     “Who says?”

     “It’s obvious, Damien. I mean… it’s like the last two weeks didn’t even happen. You’re bitching about the damn car. It’s great.” Shane laughed and rose to his knees so that he could bend back slightly and look into the apartment where his boyfriend sat in front of the television with Caleb. “Hey, Tony!”

     “What?”

     “Does Damien usually blush over anything?” he snickered and dragged himself out of the way when Damien tried to swipe at him. “So what happened with you seducing him?”

       Damien made a strangled sound at the back of his throat, and then mumbled something. “Sorry?” Shane grinned, “didn’t catch that.”

       The blond ran a hand through his hair. “Don’t think I can do it…. I’m never my best when around him.”

     “You mean you can’t think properly around him, especially when he’s topless.”

     “Did I ask for your opinion?” Damien testily snapped.

     Shane continued to grin. “Sure, man. You asked me out here so we can talk about him.”

     “You mean gossip,” Tony said from the doorway, then laughed when Shane shot him a glare.

     “Anyway,” Shane went on, flipping his boyfriend the bird, “asking me out here automatically gave me the right to voice my opinion.”

       Damien laughed and was prepared to retort when the front door was suddenly slammed. Sheera came barreling out onto the balcony, rummaging into her purse with shaking hands until she pulled her pack of cigarettes out.

     “Stupid fuck!” she hissed as she lit the shaking cigarette.

     Shane and Damien climbed to their feet, while Tony came out and they studied her shaking hands, the pale face and narrowed eyes.

     “This isn’t about Jake, is it?” Damien asked with some certainty. Usually it would have been the obvious thing because she’d just got off from work, but Jake Strathom never got Sheera this upset.

     Sheera didn’t answer until half the cigarette was gone. “No, this isn’t about Jake,” she finally snapped. “This is about that fucktard Marc. He showed up at the store. Started making a scene. Glad I was closing up at the time and that Jake was already gone.”

     “He makes you close up by yourself?” Shane asked.

     “No. David was there. And the new girl too.”

     “So what happened?” Tony asked.

     Her smile was grim. “He was… its not really important. Fucker scared the new girl though.” She shrugged and hurled the cigarette over the railing before turning to Damien. “Just glad to be away and here. And since we were all called here, that must mean something good happened. Hmm? You and Jared fuck yet?”

     “It’s funny you think we’ll let the subject drop like that,” Tony said lowly as Caleb and Mai crowded outside as well.

     “Not your business and I don’t want to talk about it. I want to talk about Damien and Jared.”

     “Not your business and I don’t want to talk about it. I want to talk about you and _Marc_.”

     Shane snorted and returned to the living room. He knew his cousin, just as they did, and he knew she wouldn’t talk about anything she didn’t want to. He and Sheera were alike after all. Eventually she’d probably talk about it. But it wasn’t going to happen now. And he knew Damien wasn’t going to say anything more about Jared then what he’d already told him. Shane wondered why Damien picked him out of all of them to confide the most information about the British man.

 

* * *

 

 On Monday after classes, Shane headed to the track, itching for a good fast run. He wanted to run off the steam he’d carried with him since morning after discovering he’d only made a C on the History exam. Damn Tyrant! He really was out to get his students. Shane had studied over and beyond what was supposed to have been on that test, and yet he made a dismal grade. It wasn’t fair and he’d been pissed all fucking day. Connor had failed the test and Shane knew for a fact Connor had really studied. They spent hours in the library together doing so.

     Once at the track, Shane took off running, not even waiting for instructions from Coach. Jerry seemed to catch wind of the freshman’s mood and allowed the run. It proved to be the right response, because after his two fast laps, Shane was in better spirits and was ready to focus completely on practice.

     He was seriously glad running distracted him enough because Hudson threw out thick insults and disgusted looks the entire time. But Shane easily ignored him and by the time practice was over, he was energized and able to give Damien a smile he meant when he saw him sitting up in the bleachers as he approached on his way to the showers.

     “Hey. What are you doing here?”

     Damien stood and leant against the railing, looking down at the freshman. “Wanted to see you run, cutie. You really are fast. No wonder Hudson hates you.”

     Shane blew out a breath and wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. “Don’t remind me,” his smile was crooked. “He does it enough.”

     Damien jumped down over the railing to land in front of Shane with a surprising show of athleticism. “He still giving you trouble?”

   The shorter blond shrugged and looked away. “Not really. Oh, man. Today was brutal,” he murmured as he walked past Damien to head for the showers.

     “You’re horrible at changing subjects,” Damien chimed as he ran to catch up.

     Shane glanced at him from the corner of his eye. “Thought you were working today.”

     This time it was Damien who looked away. “Well, it’s not really- I don’t have… There aren’t any meetings today so it’s not really necessary for me to go in.”

     Shane snorted. “You go in everyday after classes, Damien… are you avoiding Jared now?”

     “How did you come up with something so ridiculous? Me? Scared of Newton? Never!”

     “Deluding yourself can’t be very healthy.”

     “What do I need to avoid him for?”

     “In fear of him pounding you into either of your desks.”

     Silence followed them as they entered the training facilities. When Shane looked, Damien was blushing again and his eyes were kind of glassy. But once he saw as he was being studied, Damien cleared his throat. “Once again, why would I avoid him?”

     Damien ignored Shane’s vulgar reply. “I’ll wait for you,” he told Shane when they got to the shower rooms.

     “Wait _here_ ,” Shane replied firmly. “No peeking you fucking perv!”

     Damien waved him away and leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes as he did so. About ten minutes passed before he moved, and that was just to pull his vibrating phone from his pocket. “Speak,” he ordered the moment it was pressed against his ear.

     _“Princess.”_

     Damien jerked off the wall. “Stop calling me that,” he managed in a hiss. “What do you want? I’m busy.”

     _“Doing what?”_

     Damien started chewing on his thumbnail. “Watching Shane tear up the track. Jared, you should see him! Can’t wait until track season starts. Cutie’s great!”

     _“You were supposed to be here more than an hour ago, Damien.”_

     “Technically I’m not on the full time payroll with the company since I’m still taking classes till the end of this term…” Damien’s blue eyes scanned the area warily, half expecting Jared to pop out at him at any moment. “So I don’t really need to be in the office if there aren’t any meetings…”

     Jared laughed. _“You never miss a day. Do you think I’m stupid?”_

     “Um…”

     _“See you tonight then.”_

     “Huh? What? Jared!” Click. “GOD! The guy has no manners!”

     He was so into a mental rant about Jared that he never noticed Kenny Hudson approaching until he was standing in front of him. Damien sighed dramatically and purposely struck a pose to annoy the obvious homophobe. “And what do you want? Come to ask for a taste?” he nearly laughed aloud at the disgust crossing the black man’s face. It was so fun to mess with the straight.

     “I know who you are,” Hudson finally said.

     “Of course you do, hun.” Damien laughed and swept a hand through his blond hair. “Everyone in the world knows me. I’m fantastic like that.”

     Hudson crossed his arms over his chest. “You should know I don’t give a fuck about who you or your father is.”

     Damien sensed this conversation was getting serious and he dropped the playful act. “That’s not very wise.”

     “One day you’re going to find you aren’t untouchable,” Hudson threatened, his face contorted in fury. “And so will the other faggot in there.”

     Damien pushed off the wall, his eyes gone strangely blank as he stared Hudson down. He was pleased when he saw he was intimidating the track star. “Touch him again and you’ll pay for it, Hudson. You’ll end up dead. Tossed in the river,” he hissed dangerously.

     Hudson drew himself up. “You don’t want to take it there, Shrod. You’re not the only one with a crew.”

     Damien sighed and buffed his fingernails against his designer shirt. “It’s not the first time I’ve taken it there. In fact I quite like taking it there. Do you get me? Back off. Starting shit with Shane- and me- will be the last thing you ever do.”

     Hudson snorted and turned to walk away. “He won’t last the year.”

     And that was that. A very real conflict had been started. Damien hadn’t expected Hudson to come at him like this. Hadn’t thought the man had the balls or the resources to back himself up like this. But apparently he did because without that, only an idiot would start something with Damien Shrod.

     Accompanying these thoughts, Damien felt a familiar stirring in his gut and a numb cold freezing his lungs. Pure rage enveloped him as he watched Hudson walk away without permission. If he wanted to start shit, let it start here. He took one step with the intention of tackling Hudson to the ground, when a firm arm slung around his neck.

     “Hey,” Shane grinned at him and yanked him away from Kenny’s retreating form. He’d heard the last half of the conversation. “Give me a ride to work?”

     Shane had to drag the Shrod heir out into the parking lot and to the car. The moment they climbed into the corrected Jag, Damien fixed his earpiece and dialed a number before pulling away. “Hey, Caleb. I need you tell me everything you know about Kenny Hudson-”

     “Damien, no!” Shane hissed. He would have continued but Damien looked at him with fierce eyes and held up a finger. Those blue eyes scared the hell out of him.

     “And I need you to tell me everything about the beef you have with him. I want all the details, Caleb… Yeah. I’ll see you tonight then.”

     Shane frowned and turned to look out the window. What had he gotten himself into by deciding to move to Allmsted? Sheera told him this city was laid back, a nice place to live; all the things you would read in a brochure welcoming some naive tourist. After everything he’d gone through in Freemon, Shane was desperate to get away to some place where he wouldn’t have to hide himself. He thought coming to Allmsted was the perfect solution and the perfect place. He really liked the city. But even though reported crime was low, apparently more things went on than was reported. But that made sense seeing how there were a lot of influential people living here. And his first night here he’d immersed himself into it… So many different thoughts were running through his head at the moment, relating to different things…. God, he really wished he could talk to Tony right now. He just wanted his brain to calm down. Tony was good at calming him down.

     He and Damien were silent the rest of the way, but as soon as Damien pulled up in front of the building and Shane began to get out, the blond grabbed his arm. “Shane, listen-”

     Shane pulled his arm free and got out. “Going to be late. Later.” He shut the door before Damien could say anything else.

 

* * *

 

 Damien strode into Jared’s office and shut the door. He sank into the seat in front of the desk before Jared could blink away the surprise of his sudden arrival.

     “I started some shit,” he said. Jared reacted to this statement by immediately shutting his laptop.

     “What sort of trouble?”

     “Hudson threatened Shane again. He’s ignoring my threats… Don’t know how much I should take stock in his threats though. Caleb’s going to fill me in later.”

     “What about you?”

     Damien’s eyes widened slightly in confusion. “What about me?”

     “Did he threaten you?” Jared asked lowly.

     Damien shrugged. “I’m not what’s important. I’m not the one threatening away his top track spot. I find this whole thing ridiculous. What kind of person starts shit over a sports position? Shane’s never done anything but what he loves to do. He doesn’t deserve this hostility.”

     Jared stood and leaned forward, towering over the blond. “If Hudson is being serious and if he’s taking you seriously, then that bloke’s going to understand he’ll have to go through you first to get to Shane.” Damien didn’t answer. Instead he dropped his gaze to glare at the desk and started biting his nail. Jared sighed as he returned to his seat and leaned back to stare at the ceiling. “You lot are going to send me into an early grave. I haven’t had this much work to do in years.”

     “Stop acting like you’re ancient or something. You’re only thirty-two.”

     “Sometimes I feel like it,” Jared murmured, still staring at the ceiling. “Sometimes I feel ancient.”

     Damien dropped his elbows on the desk and leaned forward. He couldn’t see the man’s eyes clearly, but they were flickering and glazed as if reliving memories. Damien’s eyes trailed down over the exposed neck and watched in fascination as Jared’s Adam’s apple bobbed as if he were trying to swallow away those memories. In that moment Damien felt such curiosity. Wanting to know everything there was to know about the man in front of him. It took him a few moments before noticing Jared’s eyes were no longer on the ceiling. The man was now looking at him, a bemused expression on his face.

     The situation turned awkward as they continued to watch each other. Jared hadn’t anything to say at the moment, and the bemusement had yet to leave him. Damien had come to him on his own with this. It was unexpected. Especially when he was absolutely sure Damien hadn’t come to work today for the sole purpose of avoiding him for whatever reason.

     “So… you want my help with this Hudson character.”

     Damien scoffed. “Why would I ask you for help? I don’t need help from anybody!”

     “You need so much help it’s not even funny.” Jared grinned when Damien laughed and nodded.

     “There’s also something wrong with Shane.”

     Jared groaned. “Christ, does it never end?”

     Damien returned that with a bright amused smile. “I guess it’s not exactly like something’s wrong with him, per se. It’s more like… he doesn’t like the way we do things, I guess.”

     “No. Shane’s problem is that he’s on his way to being disillusioned. He’s too naïve and he should be broken from that before long. It would be good for him I think. He’s a strong kid. Real life will make him stronger.”

     “You’re not breaking anything concerning that sweet guy!”

     Jared stood and rounded the desk until he could lean up on it beside Damien. “Personally I believe everyone should live a real life. Unsheltered. That kid was sheltered in Freemon until those blokes tried to take advantage and beat him up,” Jared murmured as he casually lifted a hand to swipe the blond hair away from Damien’s eyes.

     Damien flushed and slapped his hand away. “I’m not putting him in danger!” he replied heatedly. “That’s why shit got started. So we can protect him- wait, that doesn’t make sense… must you stand so close?”

     “I wasn’t proposing putting Shane in any danger,” Jared explained, ignoring Damien’s question. “I don’t care to tangle with Tony about Shane anymore. I’m only saying… Shane being exposed to certain things wouldn’t hurt. Though if he continues to hang with you lot, that should be taken care of shortly.”

     “With our lot? You’re one to talk! You, the guy with the arsenal!”

     Jared chuckled under his breath. “True.”

     “Um…” Damien stood, having had enough of staring at the long strong body reclining against the desk two breaths away from him. Jared followed as he backed away towards the door. “Um… on the phone earlier. Were you planning on breaking into my place again?” Jared stopped moving and nodded. “Well if you’re going to break in, might as well bring some food with you. My kitchen’s empty again. And Caleb’s coming over to tell me more about Hudson.”

     “That’s fine. I’ll come by right after work. Now I think you should get going,” Jared said with a smirk. “Some of us actually need to work in order to keep our jobs.”

     Damien’s breath hitched and it had nothing to do with the fact that Jared’s chest was now pressed again his. “How dare you insinuate that my father is the only reason why I have this job! BASTARD! I’ll have you know Daddy would have kicked my ass out long ago if I didn’t pull my weight around here. I’m just as brilliant as you are. Probably better! What the fuck are you grinning at?”

     Seconds passed and once again Jared Newton’s lips were covering his, pressed firm and warm and intoxicating. And once again, just as he was beginning to relax into the hard body against him, Jared pulled back with a smirk. Damien fumed. If he was going to be kissed, he wanted a proper one!

     “What is that? Why do you do that?”

     “Told you already.”

     “We can be friends without the lame kisses.” Damien swallowed thickly when an unreadable light flashed in the other man’s eyes. “Anyway… I don’t like people kissing me so don’t do it again!” _Unless you plan to stick your tongue down my throat._ “Completely ridiculous conversation!” he hissed as he opened the door and hurried away.

     Jared leaned out of his office and watched with a huge grin as Damien strode down the hall to the elevators. The sound of twittering drew his attention and Jared found Damien’s secretary standing with his own and they were whispering excitedly with each other.

   “Surely you have work to do,” he said good-naturedly when they finally realized he was watching them. They stuttered out their apologies. He simply shook his head and returned to his office, knowing full well those two were headed for the break lounge. Prime location for office gossip. He’d known for months now that a running pool had been going on concerning himself and Damien.      

 

* * *

 

 Caleb walked into the penthouse and promptly froze in shock when he caught sight of Jared and Damien on the far couch. They weren’t really doing anything, but it was their positions that got the black man. Jared sat at one end, remote in hand and flipping through channels, while Damien was spread across the couch with his legs over the other man’s lap. His eyes were closed and he was bopping his head to the music playing in his ears from an mp3 player.

     “Say man, when did you two start going out?” he blurted. Damien didn’t hear him, but a thoroughly amused expression crossed Jared’s face.

     “We’re not.”

   “But…” Caleb waved over their forms.

     Jared shrugged as he looked at Damien, his eyes roaming over the laid out form beside him. Sensing someone was watching him, Damien opened his eyes and immediately gave Jared a wide open smile. Caleb stepped back in more shock. Damien was completely relaxed with Jared.

     “There’s food in the kitchen if you want some,” Jared said to Caleb without taking his eyes away from Damien’s face.

     Damien pulled out one of his earphones. “What?”

     “Talking to Caleb.”

     “Hmm?” Damien craned his head back to peer into the kitchen upside down. “Caleb!”

     “Yo,” the man murmured distractedly as he fixed himself a plate. “Finally not Chinese. Jared, you bring this?”

     “Yes.”  

   “Thought so. Damien never gets anything but Chinese.”

     “It’s convenient,” replied Damien as he sat up and threw his music player onto the coffee table. “Don’t like it, don’t eat it.”

     Jared leaned forward to put the remote on the table and doing that he slid closer to Damien. “You ever talk about his siblings?” he whispered near the blond’s ear.

     Damien’s head whipped around, eyes gone wide in surprise. He hadn’t seen or felt Jared move closer, but now that he was facing him, their lips nearly brushed together. “Sure,” he answered thickly, unconsciously looking at the other man’s lips. “Why?”

     “Think Caleb’s problem might stem from his family. Maybe one of his siblings is in trouble.”

     Damien gasped. “Yeah! That could be it… why didn’t I think of that?” Jared’s soft laughter caressed his face.

     “It’s because you’re a selfish spoiled brat, Damien.”

     “Am not. I’d rather think about them than myself.”

     Jared smiled and lifted his hand to press his thumb against the blond’s chin. “That is true. Your devotion to your friends is one of the things that makes you special.”

       Damien liked the look swimming in Jared’s eyes. That look alone made him feel special. It was a bit overwhelming, but he still enjoyed it. However… “If you kiss me again I will scream until your eardrums bleed,” he whispered, seeing as Jared had been inching closer. “How many times do I need to tell you?”

     Caleb bit into his burger and stepped sideways a few steps to get a clear view of the two who had been sitting very still for the last couple of minutes. They were unmoving and the black man rose a brow upon seeing how close their faces were. He wondered, after starting to feel awkward amidst the obvious sexual tension, if he should just skip out. He could always tell them about Kenny some other time. But then Damien suddenly jumped up and hurried into the kitchen and whatever had been going on was over. Jared looked to be laughing to himself as he watched Damien’s retreat.

     “What the hell is wrong with you, man?” Caleb asked the blond.

     “Don’t know what you mean. Now tell me about Hudson.”

     “His family has money.” Caleb rolled his eyes when Damien snorted. “Yeah alright, to you he’s penniless, but to the rest of us middle class Americans, his family has money. We met up at a basketball convention a few years back and butted heads right away. Likes to run with those in my neighborhood. Likes to throw his money around. He has friends to back him up and the brains… he’s a leader and I think the hood respects that, which is why he hasn’t gotten his ass kicked yet. Don’t know, but the guys tolerate him. Personally I think he’s a little bitch. He’s never fought his own battles unless the guy’s half his size.”

     “So he has dangerous connections?” Jared asked as he leaned against the counter.

     “Sure, man. But anyone with money can have dangerous connections. Right, Damien?” the blond in question smirked. “And the people he runs with have nothing to lose, ya know? Hudson can be dangerous if he’s got a major vendetta.” He glanced between Damien and Jared. “Why?”

     Damien looked sheepish and Jared was staring off into the living room, obviously lost in thought. Caleb returned his attention to Damien and narrowed his eyes. “Ah man, you didn’t! Please tell me you didn’t start anything!”

     “He did,” Jared murmured.

     “He threatened Shane! Said cutie wasn’t going to last the year. What’s that sound like to you? I wasn’t going to stand there and let him get away with it.”

     “Fucking shit,” Caleb mumbled as he sank down into a chair, rubbing a hand over his face. “I’ve been… my brother- Damien, Hudson’s got the support to back up any threat he makes.”

     “Think he could beat me and my support?” Damien asked with a straight face.

     Caleb laughed. “Fuck no. Not now especially with this mother fucker in our ranks,” he gestured to Jared who raised an eyebrow. “I’m just saying. If he actually said that, we need to watch out for Shane. He means it.”

     “You said something about your brother,” Jared finally said. “You’re protecting him from something. Is he the reason why you wanted a gun?”

     “Don’t worry about it, man. I can take care of it.”

     “Hudson’s goons are tangling with your brother, Caleb. That means we’ll look at this as being connected.”

     “I never said that!”

     “You brought your brother up with Hudson’s name right after. It’s connected.” Jared said firmly.

     “C’mon, Caleb… can’t believe you kept this to yourself. We could help,” Damien said.

     “Look man, it’s just that these guys have been bothering some high school students, my brother included. They’re trying to get these kids to work for them, running errands and stuff… I know where that leads. Edrick was a little punk, but he’s straightened up. He’s a good kid now. I’m trying to make sure he stays this way. Keep him on the right fucking track! But these fucking gangbangers wont leave the high school alone. Kids have been getting their asses beat if they say no. I’ve started picking Eddie up after school cause he’s been talking about being followed. They’re just waiting to start something…”

     “You weren’t planning on giving your brother a gun, were you?”

     Caleb glared at Jared. “Didn’t I just say I’m trying to keep Eddie on the right track? You really think I’d give him a fucking gun?”

       “No offense. Just making sure.”

       “How do you know Hudson’s involved with these guys?” Damien inquired.

       “Kenny’s group is called the Sevens. The guys who’ve been messing with my brother all have small sevens tattooed in between their knuckles and have a seven sewn onto these dark blue jackets they wear sometimes.”

     Damien snorted. “The Sevens? What kind of name is that for a gang?”

     “After what you did to him at the Sage, I’d be surprised if he didn’t already have a vendetta against you, Damien.”

     “If he’s so high and mighty and a leader of a gang, then why was he there by himself? I didn’t see any idiots following him. He was all by his lonesome.”

     Caleb shrugged. “Don’t know. But I don’t remember seeing him there before. I don’t think the Sage is a place he or his crew like to go.”

     “No one cares if you’re gay there,” said Jared.

     “That’s probably it.”

     “So then why was he there that night then?” Damien wondered.

     “He probably went with the sole purpose of messing with Shane. Kid fights and he gets thrown off the track team,” Caleb reminded them.

       “Whatever it is, we need to stop those blokes from messing with your brother and the other kids at school. And we need to keep Shane safe.” Jared looked at Damien. “How much muscle do you actually have at your beck and call?”

     “Enough.”

     “Okay…. I need to think about this for a while. But Caleb, don’t you fucking go out and get a gun. If we can keep this in the fist category, let’s leave it at that.”

     “Fuck that, man! They have guns. One fucker pointed one at Eddie and his friends when they turned them down the first time.”

     Damien perked up and grinned childishly. “Do they have knives? I like those. I’d love to show them mine.” He continued to grin, ignoring the twin groans from Jared and Caleb.

      


	14. Episode Fourteen

Tony sat at the small table in his kitchen, trying to finish some schoolwork while Shane was lying on his stomach in the living room doing the same. Neither of them were getting any work done though. Tony was spending his time worrying about his boyfriend. Shane had been staring at one page in his book for the last thirty minutes and had been entirely too quiet since he’d come over after work.

     “Shane.” The freshman tilted his head to the side, large blue eyes zeroing in on him with one eyebrow lifted in question. “You want to talk?”

     Those blue eyes flickered and then brightened before he nodded. “Been wanting to talk to you all day, actually,” he said after shutting his book and rising to his feet.

     Tony shut his own book and leaned back, eyes intense on the younger man as he sat down across from him. “You’ve been here for a couple of hours and you haven’t said anything the entire time.”

     “I was just thinking.” Shane smiled brightly, “but now it’s cool so I can talk.”

     “You’re weird,” Tony muttered.

     “Better than being normal and boring, man… Tony, do you think I’m a bother?” he rushed out.

     “I’m not going to dignify that with a response. Why would you ask something so stupid anyway?”

     But Shane was shaking his head. “No. I don’t mean to you. I mean… hope I’m not a bother to you because if so this whole relationship has suddenly turned very awkward.”

     Tony laughed at that. “Then what do you mean?”

     “Maybe I hang out with Damien and the others too much… I mean you guys are a tight nit unit and I like hanging out with everyone. But I feel I’m just giving you guys more trouble…”

     “Are you saying you don’t feel like you belong?”

     “No.”

     “So you do feel like you belong.”

     “Yes, dammit Tony!”

     The brunet smirked. “You’re one of us now, brat. It’s stupid of you to think you’re a hassle.”

     “But… you don’t know what happened today.”

     Tony was about to ask about that when Damien called. Shane sat back and decided he’d let the blond tell his boyfriend. As Tony listened, his eyes narrowed on Shane’s face and the freshman shivered from the fury swimming in those green eyes. Finally after minutes of doing nothing but listening to whatever Damien needed to say, Tony said, “I’m in.”

     “Um…”

     “Hold on, Dame.” Tony drew the phone from his ear and pressed it against his chest, waiting for Shane to continue.

     “Can I-” he clenched his fists on the table and straightened up. “I want in too.” He expected Tony to argue, but instead his boyfriend looked relieved, if slightly apprehensive as he returned the phone to his ear.

     “Shane’s in too... Damien, don’t argue. This is partly about him anyway…. Sure, fine. Talk to you later.” Tony flipped the phone closed and dropped it on the table. “Before you say it, cause I can see the stupid insecurity in your eyes, no he didn’t argue because he thinks you’d be a hassle. He just wants to keep you safe.”

     “But that’s what I’m talking about!” Shane shot from his seat and started to pace around the kitchen. “This is about me! I don’t want him getting into trouble or hurt because of me. I know how serious this is, Tony. I saw the look in both his and Hudson’s eyes. I don’t want any of you hurt because of me!” Suddenly he turned to face his slightly amused boyfriend. “And don’t think for a moment that I don’t know about your plans for revenge against those assholes in Freemon. Because I do know.”

     Tony stood in his surprise. “How’d you know about that?”

     “Overheard Mai and Sheera talking about it.”

     “Fucking A,” Tony grumbled.

     “Yeah, and I want in on that too!” Shane replied vehemently.

     “What happened to you not fighting?”

     “Never once have I said I’m a pacifist, Tony. Besides,” and here he smirked, “there are other ways of fighting without having to use fists. If you’d stop being such a fist happy asshole all the time, you might actually use your head for once.”

     “You little-” Tony lunged for him, but Shane escaped out of the kitchen.

     “What’s wrong, dude?” Shane called out as he ran for the bedroom. “Afraid to admit I’m way smarter than you?”

     Tony tackled him to the ground in the hallway, throwing strong arms around him as they fell. Shane was still laughing when he was wrestled onto his back. “Gonna fuck you senseless for that!” the brunet growled as he started dragging Shane’s pants and boxers down over his hips.

       “If this is your idea of punishment than you’ve just proven my point,” Shane replied breathlessly, shivering from the hunger in his boyfriend’s eyes.

     Tony practically snarled as he ripped Shane’s pants down and off his legs before throwing them over his shoulder. Tony took a moment to notice Shane was just as aroused as he was- which was good, because he would have stopped the rough handling otherwise- before leaning forward to grab Shane’s wrists and pinned them over his head.

     “Gonna fuck you so hard,” he hissed as his mouth came down to crush Shane’s, whose lips were already parted and waiting for his invasion. God, but Shane was so hot! A fucking gorgeous smart ass and he needed to be inside him immediately. Tony released his hands in order to work on his own pants, and just as soon as he could free his cock, he pulled back from the soul stealing kisses. He spread the brat’s legs and grabbed his hips in a vice grip to lift Shane’s ass off the floor. “You’re going to be screaming my name,” he promised and rammed into Shane’s tight hole.

     Shane’s strangled cry of, “oh fuck!” made Tony pause as he thought he might have hurt him badly. But then the brat opened his darkened eyes, smirked, and the muscles around his cock clenched unbearably. There wasn’t any holding back then and Tony did exactly as was promised and proceeded to fuck the life out of Shane; thrusting in and out without pause, pounding into the slender boy with such force that every thrust sent Shane’s body back an inch, pushing him back over the hallway carpet. Shane was very certain he was going to get rug burn.

     Watching as those blue eyes shut tightly against the pain and pleasure rushing through his body, Tony gritted his teeth against the waves of pleasure spreading throughout his own body with every thrust, and reveled in the sounds escaping his boyfriend’s mouth as the younger man climaxed. Shane was verbal; a very loud and verbal lover and Tony loved that. He loved the way Shane screamed his name, loved the way his name sometimes came out in breathless whimpers. And right now, Tony loved the way Shane’s cries came out in guttural moans and hitched breaths as he came. He also loved the way Shane’s body would visibly tremble every time he himself cried out or moaned, or whispered Shane’s name as he came inside that tight ass, as he’d done just now.

     Tony grinned when Shane pulled in a shuddering breath with the intention of getting his breathing under control. “Brat.”

     As Tony leaned down to kiss him, Shane lifted his hands to his black hair. “Asshole.”

      

* * *

 

  _“You know who you called. Speak.”_

     Shane couldn’t help but laugh. “Hey, it’s me.”

     _“My cute fairy!”_ Damien exclaimed happily, making Shane grin.

     “Yes, that’s me. Listen. I wanted to say sorry. You know. For the other day. When you tried to talk to me and I brushed you off.”

     _“Apology accepted,”_ came the haughty reply. _“Knew you’d come around.”_

     Shane smiled and lifted his chin at Connor when his friend slid into the chair opposite him. “Damien, I was wondering… Tony and I are going out tomorrow night. You wanna come?” Shane grinned widely, “you can bring Jared.”

     There was a fit of coughing on the other line and Damien started muttering incoherently. After a moment Shane heard a voice in the background saying it wasn’t such a bad idea. Shane’s grin split his face. Apparently Jared was with Damien and could hear the conversation.

     _“NO! Well, I mean… you know. Busy, busy, busy… Gotta go, cutie. Talk to you later?”_

     “Sure thing. Later.”

     _“NEWTON! EAVESDROP ONE MORE TIME AND I’M GONNA--”_ Click.

     Shane laughed as he stashed the phone back into his pocket. Then he looked at Connor and noticed his scowl. “What’s up, man?”

     Connor brushed a hand through his curly black hair. “Just about failed my bio exam today. I know I did. Didn’t understand half of it. And yeah. I did study.”

     “Want a tutor? I can break it down to where it’s simple stuff to learn.”

     “I’ll take any kind of help… who do you have for biology anyway?”

     “Advanced Bio. Professor Stevens.She's awesome.”

     Two shadows fell over the table. “Hey guys!”

     Mimi and Stella had arrived. Mimi immediately sat beside her boyfriend, demanding to know what was wrong with him, while Stella sat beside Shane. Any awkwardness Shane felt with her had gone once she started acting normal around him after finding out he was gay. Though the girl purposely talked about Tony to get him to blush as much as she could. But Shane didn’t really mind it much as he knew she was only teasing him in good fun.

     “You guys having a good day?” he asked her.

     Stella nodded. “But I’m working again today. Tomorrow too. New job. It’s a great store though! Very popular. High end… Last time I worked, I helped Sheera- she’s one of the store managers- close up and her ex came and was being a scary asshole. After he left, Sheera kept going on and on about how relieved she was that Mr. Strathom hadn’t been around to see that…” Stella paused to laugh a little, not noticing Shane’s widening eyes. “I think she has a serious crush on Mr. Strathom. Not that I blame her. The guy is super hot! And he’s not even gay, which is a plus for us since all you other hot guys are gay,” she finished with a snort and shoved his arm playfully.

     “You’re the new girl? Wait… my cousin has a crush on that dickhead?”

     “Huh? Your cousin?”

     “Yeah, Sheera’s my cousin. She works at Strathom’s. She was talking about some new girl.”

     Stella smiled. “Oh well, small world. Yep that’s me. The new girl.”

     “Sheera was really sorry about that, by the way,” he scowled at the table. “She was pissed Marc was scaring you.”

     Stella waved that away. “Sheera’s cool. I like her. It wasn’t her fault her ex was being a douche.”

     Shane nodded and turned to fully face her. He leaned forward, narrowing his eyes with vindictive glee. “Let’s get back to her having a crush on Jake Strathom.” Stella bit her plump pink lips and suddenly looked uncomfortable. Shane laughed. “Oh hell no! You already brought it up. This is blackmail material. It’ll last me years! Spill!”

     “Okay, but you have to promise not to say I told.”

     “I promise to make Sheera’s life a living hell, but I won’t say where I got the info.”

     Stella laughed. “Well she hasn’t come out and said it, but I think it’s obvious. The way she snapped at him earlier in the day, the way he snapped right back, and the way they stare at each other all through the day when the other isn’t looking. It’s actually pretty hilarious. He lets her get away with saying shit that I would probably be fired for. They fight like a married couple, I swear!”

     Shane was shaking his head in shock. Freaking Sheera! “She’s been working there for years… but I didn’t know she was a manager. Sheera said he cut her hours.”

     “Guess things changed… actually I think she was just promoted and that’s why I was hired. Mr. Strathom is opening two more stores, which is probably why she got promoted so that he can go and see to the new stores.”

     Shane started grinning like an idiot. “This is so great… guess Damien was right. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.” Shane drew in a breath and his face suddenly turned serious. “Next time that asshole comes along, can you call me if he starts shit?”

     “Sure,” she said, pulling out her phone, “just give me your number. Yay,” Stella grinned across the table at Mimi, “getting another hot guy’s number!” Connor, Mimi, and Stella laughed as Shane’s face flushed while he typed in his number.

     “You are the cutest thing! Wish you weren’t gay. Though let it be said, your boyfriend is also so very hot!”  

     Mimi nodded. “That’s for damn sure. How old is he anyway?”

     “Twenty-five.”

     “Oooh, and an older man,” Mimi said with a happy little sigh.

     Stella dug her elbow into his arm, “you lucky boy you.”

     Shane cleared his throat and looked at Connor pleadingly. But his friend only smirked.

     “Anyway, you guys going to the Sage Haze on Saturday?”

     Connor shrugged. “Hadn’t planned on it.”

     “You should come. I’ll get you in free. No waiting in line either.”

     “Sweet!”

 

* * *

 

As usual, Uncle Rich dropped Shane off at the track early the next morning before the sun was fully up. He began his run at a quick pace, running fast with his eyes trained on the track, trying to run out the high excitement coursing through him. He loved going out with Tony and he was excited about tonight. It was always great going out with his boyfriend, where neither of them was ashamed to show off their relationship. It was one of the best feelings in the world to not have to hide. To be with someone who didn’t want to hide and wasn’t ashamed of him. Wasn’t ashamed to touch him in public. Best Goddamned feeling!

     Shane was so lost in thought he never noticed the dark clothed figure moving towards the track, looking around suspiciously before training on the quickly running track star. The figure stopped next the equipment shed and pulled out a switch blade and stood there hidden, waiting for the running figure to come by the part of the track that was closest to the shed. By the time Shane rounded the track, the figure was ready to sprint out and do the job he’d been paid heavily to do.

     “Rocket!”

     The figure cursed and stepped back behind the shed.

     “Hey Coach!” Shane panted.

     “Mind if I run with you this morning?”

     “Course not.”

     The hidden figure put away the blade that had been gripped tightly in hand before taking off away from the track, thinking he’d have to pull up another plan. There were supposed to be no witnesses and no one besides Shane Williamson was supposed to be hurt. But it had to be done soon because he wasn’t about to get his ass beat or lose the large wad of cash rolled up tightly under his mattress.

      

* * *

 

 That evening Tony picked Shane up from work and they headed out straight from there. Tony drove them downtown and parked in Damien’s garage. From there the two started out just walking around. More than once Shane caught Tony looking around suspiciously, but he ignored it; resigned to the fact Tony was a possessive protective bastard. Didn’t matter though. He loved this particular possessive protective bastard.

     “So did you have a place in mind or are we going to walk around all night? Not that I mind walking. It’s nice out.”

     “Thought we’d catch a movie later,” Tony murmured. The arm around Shane’s shoulders dropped and Shane felt a hand dip into his back pocket and there it stayed. Tony grinned roguishly when he caught Shane’s blush.

     They were silent again, during which time Tony made another sweep of the busy street around them. To say that he was worried about Shane was an understatement. Hudson was a bastard and Tony had been around him enough to realize he’d do real damage to any freshman who threatened his glory away. And now, with the knowledge of Hudson having a gang to back him up, Hudson’s threat was twice as daunting.

     “There’s a woman waving at us,” Shane suddenly said. “Across the street. And isn’t that Coach?”

     Tony grabbed his hand, pulling him across the street to the two. He’d been planning a meeting like this and now was as good a time as ever.

     “Who is it?” Shane whispered as they stepped onto sidewalk and approached the two.

     “Wait and see, brat,” Tony murmured as he dropped Shane’s hand. A moment later he embraced the woman and kissed her cheek. “Mamma.”

     Shane’s eyes widened, and when he caught sight of Coach Thompson holding the woman’s hand, his eyes bugged out. What the hell was wrong with the world? It wasn’t supposed to be this small.

     “Tony, you rascal! Haven’t heard from you in a week! What happened to a child’s everlasting love, hmm? I’ve been wasting away!”

     “I was gonna call soon, Ma. Swear!”

     Jerry snorted and moved over to Shane, who had backed up a few steps. “Well, boy! Gonna stand there gawking?”

     “But you- didn’t know… Never met-”

     Jerry chuckled under his breath and glanced at Lauretta, his long time companion, and noticed her brown eyes were wide as Tony talked quietly to her. Tony had never introduced one of his boyfriends to his mother before now. Jerry had mentioned Tony had found interest in one of his runners, but he hadn’t known Shane and Tony were an item and to the degree where Tony was bringing the Rocket to meet his mother. Though he should have figured it out when Tony had called to ask him to keep an eye on Shane during his morning runs.

     “Shane, c’mere,” Tony reached back and grabbed his hand to pull him up, grinning at the flush of embarrassment on Shane’s face from being thrust into this situation. “Ma, this is Shane,” he said while wrapping a supportive arm around his boyfriend’s tense shoulders.

     Lauretta smiled softly at the boy who looked like he was prepared for her to eat him. She placed both hands on the young man’s face and brought him close to kiss his cheeks. “ _Ciao_! _E 'un grande piacere vi incontro_ , Shane. _Un_ _ragazzo molto bello_!” (1)    

     Shane pulled back slightly and smiled at her. She had long black hair and he saw Tony had gotten the shape of his eyes from his mom. “ _Grazie. Felice di incontrare voi_ ,” he replied, and then smiled brightly. “ _Sei sicuro che stai sua mamma? Si assomigliano più a sua sorella._ ” (2)

     “Ah!” Lauretta gasped a happy cry and squished Shane against her before looking at her shocked son. “A gem, Tony! You’ve found a gem! His Italian is better than yours, _mio figlio_.” (3)

     “ _Parla abbastanza bene_ ,” (4) Tony whispered, trying to keep the insane smile off his face. Shane had never mentioned he could speak Italian. But then again, when the brat discovered he was of Italian decent, Shane’s eyes had widened and a secretive smile had crossed his face. And then Shane had gone on to ask about his mother’s side of the family- most of which were still living in Italy- and asking if Tony had ever been to Italy and where exactly had he been. At the time Tony assumed Shane was simply curious, being nosy as he always was. But this… And his mother looked delighted. Already entranced by his boyfriend.

     Soon the two couples split, but not before Lauretta demanded Tony and Shane over for dinner the following week. Which the two students agreed to. Shane suspected Tony would see death if he didn’t go visit his mother next week.

     “You could have warned me!” he shouted when Tony’s mother and Coach disappeared around the corner.

     “And miss out on that awesome blush? Hell no! And what about you? You never said you could speak Italian.”

     “Never asked, did you, Tony. I can speak two other languages. Not including English. Do you think Mai would teach me Japanese?”

     Tony grinned and hooked two fingers into the shorter man’s belt loops to draw him closer. “You really are a nerd.”

     “Fuck you, man!” Shane shoved Tony as they came upon a corner. “I am _not_ a nerd!”

     “A nerd and a pervert. Perfect!” said a familiar voice from around the corner.

     Shane laughed as he looked at the two leaning against the wall. “Do we have tracking devices on us?” he joked.

     “Tony doesn’t,” Jared answered and then smirked when Shane narrowed his eyes.

     “You’re joking, right? I don’t really have one…”

     “Yeah, I stuck it up your fine ass when you were sleeping,” Tony leered and wrapped a firm arm around his shoulders. “You moaned the entire time.”

     “Oh now, Tony,” Damien began with a shake of his head, then snorted when Shane shoved his elbow into Tony’s stomach, “don’t be crude.”

     “Anyway,” Shane said, and jabbed his elbow into Tony’s stomach again just for good measure, “what are you two doing here? I thought you said you were busy.”

     “Never too busy for you, cutie.”

     “He wants to do some shopping,” Jared said, pointing down the road where Strathom’s was located.

     “So what are you here for?” Tony asked Jared while rubbing his abused stomach. Shane grinned when Damien shifted away to hide a pale blush while Jared smirked and shrugged.

     “Hey, speaking of that store, I found out some news…. Want to hear?” he asked Damien.

     “Course!”

     “Okay. Well I heard—shut up, Tony. I am not gossiping!”

     Tony threw his hands up in surrender. He hadn’t actually said anything, but he’d certainly been thinking it. He laughed at Shane’s indignant expression as the shorter boy grabbed Damien’s arm and started pulling him to the store.

     “I’m friends with the new girl who works there, and she thinks Sheera’s got a crush on Strathom because they’re always staring at each other and fighting like a married couple. And… he made Sheera a store manager.”

     “No way!” Damien exclaimed excitedly, “I didn’t know that. She never said anything.”

     “I know, right!”

     “But Jake’s so completely delicious; her having a crush on him isn’t a big shocker. I mean, the man is fine and if our She didn’t notice that then I’d peg her for a dyke!”

     Jared fell into step with Tony and they lagged behind a bit, both scanning the streets. “Seen anyone yet while you’ve been out?”

     “No. You?”

     “Not as of yet.”

     Tony frowned and brushed the black fringe away from his eyes. “I told Jerry. He’s the track coach and a good friend.” Jared nodded as if he already knew that. “Didn’t tell him everything. Just vague things. He’s keeping an eye on Shane during his morning runs. Stupid brat likes to go to the track early and run when it’s still dark and no one is around.”

     Jared turned to look at the bloke beside him and noticed the fear swimming in his eyes. “Shane will be alright. And now that he’s in, he can know more and won’t be entirely off guard should someone approach him.”

     Tony supposed that were true. Shane wasn’t exactly defenseless and he was a smart guy. “Haven’t really told him all that much. Only what Damien told me about the situation.”

     “We’ll talk about it later, when we’re off the streets.”

     They soon entered Strathom’s. Jared took one look at the clothes around them and turned to Tony with a disdainful look on his face. The British snob look. Tony laughed and shook his head. “I know, dude.”

     Both Stella and Sheera were working at the time, so Shane dragged Damien over to Stella, introduced them and then left Damien to charm Stella with his homo millionaire hotness, while he went to his cousin, smirking up a storm.

     Sheera glanced up from the table she was folding clothes on and smiled at him. “Hey Shane.”

     “Cuz,” he made a show of looking around the large store before pinning her with shrewd eyes. “Strathom here?”

     Sheera frowned. “No. He’s gone on a business trip.”

     “You’ve been working a lot more. Thought you said he cut your hours?”

     She shrugged before narrowing her eyes when Jared and Tony came back from the front of the store. “What are you doing here? You better buy something while you’re here!”

     “Don’t worry, I will!” Damien chirped. He gave a blushing Stella a saucy wink before sauntering over to the men's section at the far end of the store.

       Sheera smiled then and looked at Jared. “You two on a date, Jared? You better be.”

     “Not a date, according to him.”

       Sheera crooked her finger at the man until he was standing in front of the table. “Why don’t you stop playing already?” she whispered. “Push him into a room and fuck! You know he wants it. We promise he won’t put up any kind of fight. He’s been wanting you to tap that ass for two years now.”

     Shane laughed out right at the incredulous look on Jared’s face. Then the British man cleared his throat and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I’m going to wait outside.” And then he rushed out.

     Sheera looked at her cousin in confusion. “What’s wrong with him? Thought he wanted Damien.”

     “He does,” Shane said assuredly. “But what you said probably surprised him and you’ve probably put thoughts into his head…”

     “Ah…” Sheera looked off to the door with a little laugh.

     “So what about you? You been wishing for Strathom to tap that ass of yours?”

     The look on Sheera’s face was priceless. A mixture of surprise, embarrassment, and guilt all mixed together with a dark blush.

     “What? No way, you evil little fag!” she screeched. Shane’s grin only continued to grow.

     “Where’s Jared?”

       Shane and Sheera looked around to find Damien standing outside of the dressing room, obviously in the process of trying on new clothes.

       “He’s outside,” Shane told him. Damien’s smile faded.

       “But I need someone to show off to!” He then smiled at Shane hopefully. “Cutie-”

       “No way! No way am I standing in there for an hour to watch you change into a billion different outfits. No way! Make Tony to do it this time.”

     Damien huffed, but he did scan the store for Tony, only to find he’d disappeared as well. “Where’s that brute?”

     “Um…” Stella smiled when they all looked at her, “he ran after the other guy. He’s outside too.”

       Damien growled as he spun around to march back into the dressing room. “CRETINS! ALL OF YOU!”

     Stella bustled up then, smiling excitedly. “Mr. Shrod, let me! You can model for me! I’d be happy to let you show off to me!”

     Damien lost his scowl and beamed at the girl. “You’re my new best friend, sweetie!”

     Shane laughed quietly as the two disappeared back into the dressing rooms, while Sheera snorted. Shane turned to her with a grin. “She loves gay men.”

 

* * *

 

 Jared walked into the Sage Haze the following day with a folder tucked under his arm. He went straight to the bar and placed the folder on the smooth polished wood and beckoned the four bartenders over. Three blokes and a girl. Jared pulled nine pictures from the folder and placed them on the bar. Three faces for the bar on each level.

     “Keep these behind the bars with you. Study the faces. Throughout the night, look for these faces in the crowds. Should you see any of these blokes, I want to be notified immediately. Is this understood? I don’t care if you’re in the middle of pouring a bloody beer. You will drop what you’re doing and immediately notify either myself or Shrod.”

     “Sure thing, Mr. Newton.”

     Jared nodded, picked up the folder, and went in search of the bouncers, leaving the bartenders to wonder why they were being made to look out for three punks. Jared thought the bouncers would most likely be at the back entrance where they usually tended to linger before the club officially opened for the night. He had copies of the three photos to give almost everyone working at the Haze. He was disappointed he could only get three photos instead of the entire Sevens’ pictures. He hadn’t had time to do proper surveillance yet. However, he was placated by the fact he didn’t think Hudson would try anything here. It was much too crowded a place and Hudson must know Shane would be surrounded the entire night.

     After finding the bouncers and giving them the pictures with the express instructions to study every single person who entered the club, Jared returned to the main room and found Damien standing in the center of the dance floor, staring up at the ceiling. His brow was furrowed and he was very clearly lost in thought; a hip was cocked out with a hand rested on top. Jared stopped at the edge of the dance floor to study him, curious as to what was going through Damien’s mind at the moment. Honestly it could be anything.

     Damien was dressed to party. He was wearing tight black pants- Jared had no idea how the Shrod heir had managed to pour himself into those- and they looked nothing short of sinful. He wore a fitted black long sleeved buttoned down shirt with two neon blue stripes down his chest. The first four buttons of the shirt were left undone, and it also left nothing to the imagination. But Jared was completely fine with that. After more observation, Jared shook his head. Damien had colored his hair again and it was now bright neon blue. Just like the stripes of his shirt.

     Jared was willing to bet that the coloring would be able to be washed out with shampoo. They did have meetings next week and Shrod would have a fit if Damien went to work with his hair blaringly blue like that. But still, Jared found he liked it. In fact, he liked anything Damien did in regards to his looks because he knew it was never a mask. Damien did these things, changed himself as a way of expression. Because he liked to do it. It was all simply Damien. He was the most complicated person Jared had ever met and that was saying something. He was the most captivating and Jared wanted him badly. _So why have I been hesitating?_

     “What are you doing?” he asked the heir, finally aware that the bartenders had been standing there watching him stare at Damien.

       Without looking at him, Damien lifted his hand from his hip and waved up at the ceiling two floors up. “I want to add another level. I want it to be an outside area. Probably make it accessible to all ages. Full bar, lounge like, maybe… Not sure about specifics yet. I’ll need to do some sketches, but I definitely want it to be out in the open. What do you think?”

     “It can be accomplished.”

     “That’s not what I asked. I asked what you think of the idea. I want an honest answer, Newton. What do you think of an outdoor area?”

     “It’s a good idea. Your regular clientele will enjoy it and it would also draw in new clientele and boost your profits. There. Did that make you happy?”

       Damien finally looked at him. “If what you said is true.”

       “I was speaking truthfully.”

       Damien smiled brightly. “Then yes, I’m happy.”

       Jared turned slightly to drop the folder onto the nearest table while Damien watched him, wearing that same smile, having no idea what that smile did to him. He quickly closed the distance between them, having not one fucking care that the bartenders were still watching. Damien’s smile slipped a bit and his eyes widened, and Jared realized his eyes must have been shining with part of what he was feeling for this man before him. But he didn’t care about that either. Jared stood before Damien and grasped his chin. “I’m not hesitating anymore, Damien. All right?”

     Damien’s eyes widened further and a fetching blush spread across his cheeks. Jared watched as a tongue peeked out to wet his lips. Damien was only halfway done with the swipe of his bottom lip before Jared could take no more and covered his slightly parted ones, his tongue immediately darting out to slide against Damien’s, and smirked when the shorter man began to tremble against him as his eyes closed with a pleasing sigh.

     Jared pulled back with a smirk when Damien’s tongue began to move against his. “Have work to do. Have fun tonight, Damien.”

     “What?” Damien growled. Jared moved away to retrieve the discarded folder. He winced slightly when Damien snarled in outrage behind him. “You get back here right now! JARED!”

     “In a bit, princess. Calm down.” Without turning around, he headed for the stairs that would take him to the owner’s office. Behind him he heard hurried footsteps and the scraping of a chair.

     “MOTHER FUCKING TEASING BASTARD!”

     Jared turned around in time to see Damien furiously smash the chair against the dance floor, splintering the chair into pieces. Jared smirked as he went on upstairs, happy that at least the chair hadn’t been broken against his head.

     “Dammit, someone come clean this up!” Damien breathed heavily after and ran to the bar, demanding a very stiff drink, ignoring the wide-eyed stares of the bartenders. “Did you not hear me? I want a fucking drink! NOW!” Damien dropped his swimming head to the bar. “And one of you go and clean that mess up.”

     “Here you go, Damien.” A glass was set next to his head. Damien lifted his head and gratefully smiled at Jessica as he took the shot of tequila and then downed it.

     “Thanks, sweetie…. Stupid fucking tease. Who does he think he is anyway?” Damien lifted his eyes to the blonde girl. “Huh?!”

     Jessica laughed weakly and watched as Parker rushed out to clean up the broken wood. She really didn’t want to say anything in fear of setting off another of Damien’s infamous tantrums.

     Damien spun around and marched to his table. He stretched out on the cushions and threw an arm over his eyes. Fucking Jared. What the hell did he do that for? Why was Jared always leaving him hanging? It was frustrating to the point where Damien wanted to scream until the whole world shattered. Though… there had been tongue this time, even if it was only a little, but it had been soooo good. Damien had been left burning inside. Even now, minutes after. And the kiss had lasted less than a minute.

     Someone nudged his shoe. Hoping it was Jared come to finish what he started, Damien popped his head up from the seat, only to pout when it turned out to be none other than his father. “What are you doing here?”

     “I’ve had calls from you and Jared about a certain problem that has arisen, and you think I’m going to stay away?”

     Damien sat up in worry. His father didn’t sound at all pleased with him. “Daddy, I didn’t go out of my way to cause problems-”

       Shrod slid in next to his son and shook his head. “I realize this. I wasn’t coming here to berate you for it. But I do understand how serious this particular matter is and I will not be staying out of it.”

     Panic welled up inside Damien. “No, Daddy. I don’t want you to get in trouble.”  

   “ _You_ had better not get in trouble!” Shrod growled threateningly. “I’ve taught you enough that you should be able to keep everything you do under the radar.”

     “There’s no reason for you to be involved.”

     “Then you should not have informed me about the situation. And this is about a promising new employee whom I don’t want to lose. I see great things happening with Shane Williamson in the future. He’ll go far in our company.”

     Damien snickered and shook his head. “Shane isn’t certain what exactly he wants to do for a living. You can’t make that decision when he hasn’t.”

     “The key to a healthy ever growing business is to recruit at an early age, son. And our corporation has fingers dipped into a plethora of different fields. The young man is obviously looking into the health and science field. As is Tony. When they’ve graduated, they will be commissioned.”

     “You don’t even know cutie very well, Daddy.”

     “Not personally, no. Except that I know he’s clever and enthusiastic, and I have my hands on his academic files starting from junior high. Jared is right. He’s a wiz kid. That isn’t something that will likely change as he receives more education. I can’t very well let him slip through my fingers to have some other company snatch him up. But despite all that, I’d hate for something to happen to him when you’ve obviously grown so attached to him. So that’s why I’m here.

     “And I agree,” he went on, “that you all need to find a way and protect those high school students.”

     “Yeah. If Hudson wanted more people he should have gone looking around for grown men, not kids. He’s lower than scum.”

     “Yes.” Shrod features twisted in rage. “Jared will take care of him. Don’t you worry about that.”

     “Daddy, you have to tell me!” Damien hissed and brought his head closer to his father’s. “What exactly do you have Jared do? Is he a hired gun? A spy. Has he killed people… personally I think he has, but I want to know the truth about him and I know you know.”

     Shrod chuckled under his breath. “You should ask him that. You two seem closer. At least that’s what it looked like when you two were standing together on the dance floor.”

     Damien pulled back with wide eyes and he felt that stupid blush cover his cheeks. “You’ve been here that long?!” he screeched.

     Shrod rubbed his abused ear. “I’ve been in the owner’s office for the past hour. I happened to look out of the window and what do you suppose I saw?”

       “Um… me smashing a chair against the floor. Wishing it were your super tool’s head.”

      “I was watching before that.” Shrod laughed when Damien whined in embarrassment. “Jared enjoys teasing you, doesn’t he?”

       “I hate him.”

       “I’m beginning to think that when you say hate, you actually mean another phenomenally strong word. People don’t smile at people they hate the way you smile at Jared.”

     “Enough already!” Damien begged. “I didn’t hear a word you just said. Not one word of it!”

     Shrod shook his head in amusement, but let this particular subject drop for the time being. “Is it necessary to wear trousers like this? Really, son. It leaves nothing for the imagination.”

     Damien perked up and started fluffing up his hair, making sure the blue strands were swinging sexily all over the place. “I look fantastic! Yes, it is necessary. For I shall make the entire world swoon at my feet!”

     “You just make sure your hair is back to normal by Monday,” Shrod instructed as he studied the bright blue strands with a disdainful curl of his lip.

     “Oh don’t worry, Daddy. It’ll wash out tonight.” Damien leaned around his father. “Jessie! Two more please.” The bartender nodded and began to prepare the shots. “I’m hiring three more bartenders. I want two for each level.”

     “Whatever you think is best.”

     “Also I had an idea about expanding the club.”

     “I’m all ears.”

     Damien grinned and began to lay out his idea, and as he and his father discussed it, more plans popped into his head, the picture becoming clearer in his mind. Shrod took interest and in the end decided to happily back up Damien’s ideas.

    

* * *

 

 “What are you pouting for?”

     Damien lifted his eyes from the table to find Shane watching him with concern. Damien looked away, sweeping his eyes over dancing floor that was packed with gyrating bodies, over to the bar that was pressed with lines of people waiting to give orders and receive drinks, over the couples and groups of friends crowded around booths and high tables. The Haze was packed tonight, as it usually was. A sense of accomplishment and pride passed through him and it brought a small smile to his lips… until he remembered Shane had asked him a question.

     “Jared’s been locked up in the owner’s office with my father all night,” he said, knowing Shane would catch the admittance without him having to spell it out.

     “Why don’t you go up and see him then?”

     Damien straightened up. “Hell no, cutie! He can come to me! I’m not some… I don’t need- I’m not desperate or anything!”

     Shane snorted and took a sip of his soda. “Never said you were.”

     They lapsed into more silence where Shane was trying to think of a way to lighten Damien’s mood. Before he could insult the blue hair, Stella called; alerting Shane to the fact she, Connor, and Mimi had arrived. He told them to wait outside and he’d go and fetch them.

     “I’ll come with you. Stella is such a cutie, by the way. A total fan girl. Must get her a man,” Damien said as he slid out of the booth with Shane.

     “Yeah, I’m surprised she’s still single. Maybe if I weren’t gay-”

     “And totally in love with Tony-”

     “I’d probably be interested. You don’t have to come with me.”

     “No I don’t.” But he would because he wasn’t about to leave Shane to walk across the club alone, despite his thoughts that cutie was safe at the Haze. Tony and Caleb had gone to the upper level to hang out with some friends for a bit- Shane had practically pushed Tony up the stairs- Mai and Sheera were on the dance floor, dancing together… and Damien wanted Jared, but Jared was a teasing bastard and he wanted to hang with Shane and his new friends anyway. Freshmen were so much fun to play with.

     Above in the owner office, Jared watched them walk across the club, taking notice of the people coming into close contact with them. “Christ, I feel like a paranoid freak.”

     Behind him at a desk, Shrod snorted. “You are a paranoid freak, Jared. But take heart in knowing you have good reason.”

     Jared dragged his eyes away from the two approaching the entrance, and instead focused on level two, the level only accessible to those twenty-one and older, and gazed across the expanse to the area directly opposite him. He saw Tony leaning over the railing, also watching Shane and Damien. Then Tony dragged his eyes away to stare across at the window he couldn’t possibly see through. “At least I’m not the only one.”

     “You should go out and join them.”

       Jared turned around and slumped into a chair. “It’s not my cup of tea. Clubbing.”

     “If you want to be with my son than you had better make it your cup of tea. Besides, you need to lighten up, Jared. You’re only thirty-two. You don’t always need to be a soldier.”

     Jared planted elbows on his knees. “Fine. In a minute.” He studied Shrod as the man continued to scribble out on a paper. “Did you do this on purpose, old man? Did you plan this when you hired me?”

     Shrod looked up and set his pen aside. “Plan what, exactly?”

     “Hand pick your son’s partner. And I’m not talking about business partner.”

       Shrod barked out a laugh. “You know my son, Jared. There’s no guarantee on what or whom he’ll like. It would have been impossible. And at the time of your placement, I did not know you were gay-”

     “I don’t like labels, Shrod.”

     “I hired you for the reasons I’ve already said,” Shrod went on with a fierce frown. “I did not set you up as you’re implying.”

     “You have been setting us up!”

     “Only for the last few months, yes. When I realized what my son’s problem was with you. And by the way, you should come clean to him about what you do for me. You should come clean about what you’ve done in the past.”

     Jared gracefully stood from the chair and turned back around to peer out the window. “I don’t want to talk about that.” But he knew he would need to eventually. Eventually he wanted to tell Damien everything. “How do you think he’ll take it?”

     “It won’t make him think any less of you,” Shrod said as he went back to his paperwork. “And you know this. He already has theories, some of which are spot on. Why would he think less of you when he’s capable of the same thing?”

     Jared frowned when he found Shane and Damien again, leading three others through the club. Damien was suddenly stopped by a man who threw his arm around his slender shoulders and leaned in whisper intimately into the heir’s ear. It was obviously intimate by the way the man was leering at the natural blond.

     Jared only breathed a sigh of relief when Damien extracted the arm from around his shoulders and continued to move through the crowds to rejoin Shane at a table.

     “Get out of here, Newton! Your sighs are driving me mad! Go be paranoid amongst the other paranoid!”

     “You know what, Shrod. You’re a-”

     Shrod narrowed his eyes. “Please do continue, Jared.”

     “Never mind. I’m going.” Jared took off, knowing he was testing Shrod’s patience. Instead of going downstairs, Jared followed the hallway around and stepped through a door on the second level and made his way to Tony and Caleb first.

     He slid onto the stool beside Tony and was immediately greeted by him and Caleb, and then was quickly introduced to the other man gracing the high table. “What are you doing up here?” he asked Tony.

     Caleb answered for him. “Shane said he was being annoying and practically shoved Tony up the stairs.”

     “Stupid brat,” the man muttered.

     “How do you expect him to react with you being so uptight about whatever it is he wants to do tonight?” Caleb said. “Give the guy a break, man. Nothings gonna happen here.”

     “What are you guys talking about?”

       Jared lifted cold eyes to the bloke across the table with red curly hair and sneered at him. “Nothing that concerns you, I’m sure.”

     “Don’t mind him, Red. This guy’s a prick,” Tony said before chugging half his beer. “What brings you here to slum with the commoners anyway?”

     “Old man’s suggestion.”

     Caleb and Tony took in Jared’s stiff posture and the closed off annoyed expression on his face, and both snorted. “This can’t be your first time in a club?”

     “Of course not.”

     “No, man,” Caleb said waving his hands, “we’re not talking about you coming here to oversee the management of it. Have you never just gone to a club? Dude, what do you do for fun?”

     Jared narrowed his eyes on the black man. “You’ve seen what I do for fun.”

     _Jesus,_ Tony thought, _this guy really is into the organization._ “Didn’t you tell Damien no one should live a sheltered life?”

     “I haven’t ever had the time or need for this nonsense,” Jared replied while he shifted uncomfortably, aware that the three men across from him were staring with their mouths open in an incredulous fashion. Jared narrowed his eyes at them before turning to look down into the dancing crowd. He stood suddenly and then without a word quickly took off.

     His abrupt departure had Tony thinking something was wrong with Shane and he quickly looked down. Breathing a sigh of relief, he grinned. “Caleb, come here. Show’s about to start.”

     Below them, Damien was beginning to lose patience. “No, Kevin! I’ve already said I’m not interested! Take off!” he smacked the arm away from his shoulders, and then rolled his eyes at Shane.

     “Of course you’re interested. You’re always interested in anything with two legs and a cock. Come on. I’ll make it worth it.”

     “Hey,” Shane shouted, immediately outraged, “you can’t talk to him like that!”

     “Thank you, Shane, but I’ve got it…” Damien turned his head to look at Kevin from the corner or his eye. “Get the fuck away from me. I said no.”

     Apparently Kevin wasn’t going to take no for an answer and he leaned in from behind, once again throwing an arm over his shoulder. Damien shuddered from disgust when he felt the man’s breath against his ear. Before the man could speak again, Jared barreled over and grabbed Kevin from behind, grabbing a fist full of collar and yanking him away from Damien. “Don’t touch him again,” Jared said calmly.

     “I’m looking for a quick fuck,” the guy said, “and he’s the only whore around. And since I was here first, you can take a hike!”

     Shane jumped out of his seat seething, while Damien slid out of his booth slowly to face Kevin. “I’m a what?” he questioned lowly.

     Again Kevin had no time to speak before Jared’s fist pummeled into his face. Over and over again. Shane jumped back onto the seat and crawled over to peer behind the booth just as Connor, Mimi, and Stella had done when the guy fell there. All four eagerly watching Jared beat the fuck out of Kevin for calling Damien a whore. After a moment of staring at Jared in fascination, Damien quickly took off.

     Jared didn’t notice his departure. He was only concerned with beating the bastard beneath him to death and he would have if Tony and Caleb hadn’t rushed over and dragged him off. “Get off me!” Jared’s eyes burned as he stared down at Kevin. “You’re dead! Do you hear me, you little shite? You’re dead! Get the fuck off me!” he yelled, trying to pull his arms away from the two holding him back.

     “Cool it, man!” Caleb hissed, ducking under Jared’s jabbing elbow. “You want him to press charges? You want that coming down on you?”

     “Damien ran,” Tony whispered harshly in his ear. “You can bet that’s not a good sign.”

     Jared paused in trying to get away to look for blue hair. When he saw Damien was indeed gone, he shrugged off the arms and went to go find him.

     “Dude,” Red said, watching Jared stride away. “He’s intense.”

     Shane was smirking at the man who lay on the floor moaning and clutching at his face.

     “Did you see that? Totally awesome,” Connor hissed at him. “That guy really looked like he wanted to kill this asshole.”

     Shane nodded in agreement, knowing full well Jared would have if given the chance. God, it had actually been kind of scary, the cold flat look in Jared’s eyes. Shane shuddered. Jared had done that before; beat a man to death with his fists.

 

* * *

 

 Jared was uncertain as to where Damien would have gone, but he raced to the enclosed stairway to get out of the loud music and pulled his cell out and tried calling the man. He wasn’t really surprised when there was no answer.

     “He’s in the office.” Jared looked up to see Shrod walking down the stairs. He looked very displeased. “You better pray that man doesn’t press charges against you, Newton. I don’t want to have to settle. And if I do, then I’m going to take it out of your hide. Do you get me?”

     “Yes. Sorry, sir.”

     “We’ll speak about this later. For now, go calm my son. The office is in shreds.”

     Jared nodded and waited for Shrod to pass him. He didn’t move until he heard Shrod move into the manager’s office and then turned and sprinted upstairs into the owner’s office.

     Damien was pressed into a corner. Crouched with his head down, chin pressed to his chest. His arms were crossed in front of his face while his hands were buried into blue hair. Jared pulled his eyes away a moment when he saw the man was shaking and took note of the office. Papers were scattered all over the place, a chair had been thrown across the room, and everything on both desks had been swiped off and to the floor. Computers included. That was about four grand.

       Jared turned back to the man crouched in the corner and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself and his furiously beating heart. He wasn’t exactly sure what kind of mood Damien was in. Either he was pissed the fuck off, or he was shaken and in a panic. Either of those moods would have caused a tantrum like this. Finally he moved again and went to crouch in front of him, grasping his crossed wrists and pulling the long elegant fingers out of the blue hair.

     “Don’t look at me,” Damien hissed, and twisted his hands free before shoving Jared, who fell back on his arse. “Get away!” the Shrod heir quickly pushed himself onto his feet and ran for the door, only to be suddenly swung away from it. Damien’s back hit the window, eyes flying wide to see Jared stalking after him.

     “I’ll look at you all I want. What caused this, Damien?” he hissed, waving around at the messed up office. When he turned back, he saw shame swimming in Damien’s eyes, and his fury built up all over again. “Is that what this is about? Do you actually think that I would perceive you as a FUCKING WHORE?”

     Damien’s hand’s flew over his ears and embedded into his hair as he dipped his eyes to the ground. “SHUT UP!”

     Damien tried to move away from the window, but Jared shoved him back into it. “Why would you listen to him? Why? You never let anybody dictate to you! You never let what anyone says bother you!”

     Panicked blue eyes disappeared behind tightly closed pale lids bordered by long thick blond eyelashes. “It’s not about him! It’s always about you! I’ve always cared about what you think of me. It’s one of the reasons why I HATE YOU!”

     His eyes flashed open when Jared laughed and dropped his forehead against his. Gray eyes bored into his without mercy, swirling with so much emotion. Just as they had been earlier on the dance floor. “Don’t hate me, Damien,” he whispered. “You don’t understand how much I need you.”

       “W- what?” he croaked in surprise. It was the first time Jared had admitted anything of his feelings.

     The wavering of Damien’s voice caused Jared to smile. “That’s right. I need you. And I don’t care about what you’ve done or whom you’ve been with in the past. All I care about is you being with me now and the fact you will _not_ be with anyone else after—don’t have a panic attack now, princess,” he quickly added when Damien’s breath began to come out in fast pants against his mouth.

     “Don’t call me that! I’ll skin you alive!”

     “You’ll only end up getting hurt.” A deep chuckle reverberated from Jared’s chest as he pressed lips against the shorter man’s. He pulled back and laughed when Damien remained stiff and narrowed his eyes in annoyance. Jared knew full well the other man thought this was yet another tease. Blue eyes then widened comically when hands slid over his hips and around to cup his ass in a firm grip. “Not a tease this time.”

     Damien felt that familiar fever take hold of his body as he felt Jared’s erection against him, causing goose bumps to spread over his entire body. When the bastard came in again, Damien’s lips parted on their own, parting for Jared without his permission. And Jared kissed him again, brushing his tongue sensuously over his parted lips until Damien’s lips moved against his. He gasped in pleasure when the hands on his ass squeezed possessively.

     Jared pulled back once more, just a breath away so that they could lock gazes. “What do you need?” he asked, lust making his voice harsh.

     Damien pulled in a trembling breath, but did not pull away. “I’m fucked up, Jared.”

     “Undoubtedly. But I asked what do you need?”

     Damien narrowed his eyes and reached back to grasp Jared’s wrists, though he didn’t pull the man’s hands off his ass. “I’m being serious here. I’m fucked up in the head.”

     “I’ve known this for a long time. And you’re not the only one with mental issues.”

      “Then…” Damien took a breath before answering, “then I need you.”

     Damien next found himself being pressed firmly against the observation window with Jared’s mouth frantically moving over his, tongue this time darting into Damien’s mouth and staying there to tangle with his, and Damien knew Jared didn’t plan to back off any time soon, and for the first time ever, let himself completely relax with another man. He lifted his arms to wrap around Jared’s neck, letting his fingers delve into the short thick black locks. _Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Jared’s fucking my mouth with his tongue… and it feels divine! Kissing is no longer a no no!_

     Damien moaned and tried to press closer. Jared pulled back slightly and ordered, “wrap your legs around my waist,” in a harsh voice that had Damien moaning and eager to do what he’d been told. Jared groaned when Damien’s long legs slipped around his hips, bringing their erections flush together to create sinful friction. “Give me your mouth.”

     A happy little noise escaped Damien as he followed that order as well, and quickly succumbed to Jared as he tasted the roof of his mouth with a skillfully rolling tongue, while hands were doing fantastic things to his ass. But then Jared released his mouth and started tasting his neck.

     Damien whined even as he shivered from the tongue running over his Adam’s apple. “Nooo. More kissing!”

     “Shut up, princess,” Jared rasped against his skin.

     Damien gasped and dropped his head back against the window when Jared bit him along his collarbone. “O-okay.”

     As Jared’s mouth moved down the smooth column of Damien’s throat, his eyes opened and he caught a glimpse of the dancing bodies below. A glint of something caught his eyes and he jerked away from Damien to press close to the window. His heart froze in his chest.

     Damien scowled as he tried to keep from falling because of wobbly turned to butter legs. “Jared?”

     That voice knocked his senses back into place and he raced for the door. “Call an ambulance! Do it now!”

     Damien didn’t even hesitate and pulled his cell phone while Jared belted out of the office and down to the first level.

* * *

A/N: The Italian translations:

1\. (Hello! It’s a great pleasure meeting you, Shane. You’re a very beautiful boy!)

2\. (Thanks. Happy to meet you as well. But are you sure you’re his mom? You look more like his sister.)

3\. (my son.)

4\. (Speak it well enough,)

 

Thanks for reading!


	15. Episode Fifteen

Tony, Red, and Caleb slid into the booth with Shane and his friends. Tony slid in until he was nearly on top of Shane and threw his arm around his boyfriend’s shoulders. Shane snorted in amusement at the older man’s pensive look, and then leaned over to press a short but firm kiss on Tony’s lips. No one bothered to look to see if the guy Jared had been intent on killing had picked himself up and taken off. They didn’t care.

     “Man,” Caleb murmured. “Jared’s scary. He just snapped. Sure we want him and Damien getting together? That’s asking for a whole lot of trouble.”

     “I thought it was sweet,” Stella murmured, and then giggled when Mimi nodded. “Him defending Damien like that. Wish a guy would do that for me.”

     Tony snorted. “That wasn’t exactly the type of show I thought we’d be seeing. Usually Jared keeps cool about things.”

       “So why did he snap, anyway?” Caleb asked. “We didn’t get down until after he starting beating on that asshole.”

     “That guy called Damien a whore,” Shane murmured, and then dropped a hand on Tony’s thigh when his boyfriend looked ready to finish what Jared started. “It’s over now. Let it go.”

     Tony sighed in resignation. He then adopted a grin and dropped his head over onto the back of the booth, right behind Shane’s head. A moment later, Shane’s face flushed as Tony’s lips, tongue, and teeth started doing delicious things to the back of his neck. Caleb rolled his eyes and half turned away to talk to Red, while beside them Stella nudged Mimi with her elbow and looked down at her lap where she held her phone. Mimi nodded then refocused on Shane, who was squirming and trying to pretend nothing was happening, though the blush on his face was giving everything away. Then Stella quickly raised her phone and snapped a picture of Shane sitting there wide-eyed and blushing like crazy.

     Tony smirked against his neck. “At least your friends don’t have a problem with you being gay.”

     “He’s so cute!” Stella gushed, staring at the picture.

     “Don’t know why he’s blushing,” Tony told them as he righted himself. “You should see him when we’re alone and he wants to fuck. There’s no blushing. He gets all aggressive and-”

     “Shut up!” Shane hissed, trying but failing to keep the tips of his ears from lighting on fire.

     “No! We want to hear!” Mimi exclaimed. The two fan girls were loving this.

     Shane looked at the boy sitting next to him. “Can’t you control them?”

     Connor had been trying to keep the laughter in and shook his head. “Hey man, until we met you, I never knew they had this gay boy fetish.”

     Shane sighed and dropped his head back against Tony’s shoulder before closing his eyes. Tony’s heat surrounded him and filled him with such peace. He didn’t really mind the girls. He actually thought it was funny. As Tony entered into a conversation with Red and Caleb, he brought his arm up and wrapped it lazily across Shane’s chest to keep him there. Another flash broke through Shane’s peace and he opened his eyes to mock glare at Mimi and Stella.

     Mimi smirked and leaned over her boyfriend. “Give us a kiss, Shane.”

     “If I do will you cut it out with the pictures?”

     “We won’t take anymore pictures after this one… tonight.”

     Shane sighed. “Fine.” Mimi grinned and leaned back. Stella lifted her phone and waited. Shane dropped his hand into Tony’s lap to get his attention, running a finger up and down his crotch. Shane tipped his head back and to the side when Tony’s attention snapped to him. Shane leaned forward and Tony didn’t need any more prompting.

     Shane barely registered the flash of the camera as Tony was massaging his tongue slowly and thoroughly. He wasn’t sure how much time passed, but when he opened his eyes and pulled back for some air, he and Tony were alone; everyone gone off to dance. Tony thought that was just perfect. He had every intention of pushing Shane onto his back so that they continue with what they were doing.

     But Shane had other ideas. He wanted to dance. “You can touch me as much there as you can here.”

     Tony grabbed Shane and dragged him to the dance floor, relieved when his boyfriend plastered against him without any urging and started rubbing against his painfully hard arousal.

     “Sorry for earlier,” Shane whispered breathlessly against Tony’s neck as they moved against each other. “I was being a brat.”

     Tony dropped a kiss to his neck, murmuring, “and I was being an unreasonable asshole.”

     Shane laughed. “Yeah.”

     “You still love me though.”

       Shane’s eyes were clear and spoke volumes as he stared back into his boyfriend’s eyes. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.” He laughed when Tony went absolutely still amongst the dancers around them. “C’mon, man. Don’t leave me hanging here,” he said, indicating he didn’t appreciate having to dance by himself. Tony shook out of his surprise and dragged Shane back against him before kissing him fervently.

     There were dancing bodies all around. The dance floor was so crowded that you couldn’t move an inch without bumping into someone. So when someone bumped into Shane, Tony didn’t think anything of it. Not until Shane jerked. Once, twice, three times… the track star’s lips slackened against his and slid away. Shane stumbled back a step, his eyes wide and face going pale.

     “Shane,” Tony stuck a finger in his boyfriend’s belt loop to pull him back against his chest. “What are you doing?” his smile dropped in an instant when he recognized it was pain swimming in the freshman’s eyes. “Baby boy?”

     The brat’s mouth moved as he brought his hands to his sides, but no sound came out. Tony watched in horror as he touched his sides then brought his hands up in between them. His shaking hands were covered in blood. Tony’s gaze flew back to Shane’s face as he felt his world come to a screeching halt. Shane’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as he stumbled forward into him.

     Tony instantly wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and felt something wet and warm coat him arms. “Shane!”

     The tone and level of his voice had nearby dancers looking at him, and when they saw him holding an unconscious body, the dancers stopped dancing and backed away slightly, leaving Tony room to lower his boyfriend to the floor. “Someone get help!” he shouted. “Call 911!”

   It was when he pulled his arms away and the dancers saw the blood did all hell break loose and the screaming started. Tony didn’t hear it. He could only hear his own ragged breathing and could only see the pool of blood forming around his boyfriend’s body. Quickly he pushed Shane’s shirt up. “C-Christ!” there was so much blood. More than one stab wound to each side, blood pouring out without pause. The sight made him want to vomit.  

     “SHANE! Open your fucking eyes!” he shouted, pressing bloody shaking hands against Shane’s pallid cheeks. The freshman’s eyes fluttered and opened, eyes dilated and he stared straight into Tony’s eyes while his slender body was writhing in pain on the floor. “That’s right. Stay awake. Stay awake, Shane!” He looked around him at all the gawking faces. “SOMEONE GET SOME FUCKING HELP!”

     Tony pulled off his dress shirt and pressed it against Shane’s sides as Mai, Caleb, and Sheera quickly appeared beside them. Mai started working frantically; checking Shane’s fading pulse, checking his breathing, ordering them to put pressure on the wounds. Numbly, Tony lifted his eyes from Shane’s pale face and caught sight of Jared sprinting through the crowd headed for the exit. Sheera’s cries were filling his ears as he numbly pressed his hands against the stab wounds while Caleb asked Mai what he could do to help and she told him to help Tony apply pressure, to slow the bleeding. Shane’s friends were nearby as well as Red; the two girls were sobbing, while Connor and Red looked on in shocked horror. The lights came on; the music stopped. Shane’s mouth opened and a garbled gasp escaped him. And then his eyes shut and he went still.

     “NO! Baby, no! Don’t do this!” Tony’s hands were all over his face, shaking him. “Baby, don’t do this to me! Wake up, Shane! Wake the fuck up!”

     “SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE!” Caleb bellowed as he pressed his hands harder against Shane’s sides. “Come on, Shane. Hang on, man.”

       “There’s so much blood!” Sheera cried. “We have to stop the bleeding!”

       “An ambulance is on the way.”

       The four looked up to find Damien’s father standing next to them, his face in shadows. “Jared… may catch who did this. He ran after someone.”

       Damien came upon them and slid on his knees to a halt at Shane’s head and stared down at the freshman in horror. “This can’t be happening.”

     “His pulse is too weak,” Mai whispered on a sob. “He’s not breathing…”

     Tony looked at Shane’s face pleadingly as he and Mai began CPR. “God, Shane… Come on, please!”

     Damien’s eyes feasted on Shane’s pale face one last time before he stood on shaking legs and took off after Jared without a word.

     By the time the ambulance arrived, Mai and Tony were barely able to keep him alive while Sheera clung to Caleb. The black man then had to drag Tony away from Shane in order to let the paramedics get on with their job.

     “Tony, you go with him,” Sheera ordered as they followed the paramedics out of the club with Shane on a stretcher, an oxygen mask placed firmly over his nose and mouth. Tony didn’t question why she let him go instead of herself. He jumped into the ambulance, his eyes never once leaving Shane’s face. Sheera and the others raced for their vehicles so they could follow after.

     Shrod stood out on the street, watching the ambulance race off with a sinking heart. Shane’s wounds were probably fatal. The amount of blood lost already made that abundantly clear. Only when the flashing lights disappeared and the siren blaring dimmed, did he turn on his heel and reenter the club. There were several phone calls he needed to make before he spoke with the police. Two of the calls would be difficult. One to Shane’s mother in Freemon, and the other to Rich and Rose Target, two people he’d known for years due to Damien’s close association with Sheera. He would rather impart the news to them as he felt partly responsible for what had happened here tonight. And he felt they would appreciate the news coming from someone they knew.

 

* * *

 

Jared raced after the assailant, knowing the bloke would’ve headed straight for the nearest exit once his attack on Shane was done. Jared had gotten a good look at the kid’s face from his vantage point up in the owner’s office and as he ran through the club, he didn’t see the man anywhere. As he ran into the street, searching, one thought ran through his mind. Hudson was officially on his hit list. Even though it hadn’t been Kenny Hudson who shoved a blade into Shane’s sides, it was assuredly Hudson’s orders, and for that the bastard would die. Jared hadn’t wanted to take it there, but after this there was no going back. If Hudson could go this far, there was no telling what else he might do. He needed to be taken care of.

     Jared tried not to think about Shane lying on the floor, probably dying. He couldn’t think about that right now as he ran through the back alleys, tracking a guy whose hurried footsteps just barely reached his ears. He also heard sirens from the ambulance and police and prayed help would get to Shane in time.

     He caught up with the bastard just as the man ran up beside a running car and dove inside through the open window. Jared pulled his gun, quickly aimed, and let off a round as the car peeled away from the curb. When the car jerked, he knew he’d hit the driver. Unfortunately either the passenger grabbed the steering wheel or the driver could still concentrate on what he was doing because the car continued on and quickly skidded round the corner. Jared stashed his gun and resumed running, cursing himself for losing control. He was a top-notch shot. All of his shots should have hit home. However he had to admit that this matter was very personal. And he couldn’t help that his hands were shaking.

     Several minutes later found Jared was facing a brick wall, kicking it while he tried to keep the sharp yells of his frustration in check. The bastard had escaped him. He was slightly mollified by the thought that the escape wouldn’t last long. He’d seen the bastard’s face and he memorized the license plate number. It was only a matter of time before Jared found him again. And he knew where Hudson was. If he had to, Jared would get the information of Shane’s attacker from Hudson just before he shot the bastard right between the eyes.

     The sound of someone approaching close by had Jared pulling his weapon as he twisted to the right, only to immediately drop his arm when he caught sight of neon blue hair rushing through the small alley towards him. Damien pulled up in front of him, his blue eyes a mixture of fear and fury.

     “Lost him. Lost him and he was right under my fucking nose,” Jared spat as he tucked the Glock back under his shirt before dragging the shorter man against his chest, wrapping arms around him and held on even when Damien tried to break free. Damien finally relaxed and dropped his face against his shoulder, where the silent tears began to drop and dampen his shirt. “I’ll get him, Damien. I swear to you, I’ll get him.”

     “Me too,” the shorter man gasped out.

     Jared tightened his arms. “Yeah. We’ll do it together.”

     “He stopped breathing.” Jared stiffened and his own breathing suddenly became a chore. “Goddammit! He stopped breathing, Jared! I don’t… I left. I had to help you. I couldn’t stay there. I left him!”

     Jared took a deep breath and started pulling Damien down the road, back to the club. They couldn’t linger in the area after he’d popped off shots. He didn’t want the cops questioning him about that. “We’ll go straight to the hospital.” He wanted to say everything was going to be okay. Wanted to say Shane would pull through. But he couldn’t make that promise. Damien didn’t look as if he expected him to either.

     They never made it back to the club. Shrod called and demanded answers and after Jared explained he’d lost the attacker, Shrod demanded they stay where they were and he sent them a car, explaining they’d only get stuck at the club for questioning. The car arrived in quick time and soon they arrived at Harris hospital and rushed into the ER waiting room where several familiar faces turned to them, all looking distraught.

     “Please,” Damien begged Sheera when she rushed to him and threw arms around him. “Please…”

     “They rushed him to surgery. We don’t know anything else,” she whispered hoarsely. “But Tony says they were able to get his heart beating again in the ambulance… but they didn’t- the paramedics’ faces... I don’t know.”

     Jared looked around at all the pale drawn faces of Shane’s friends as they sat and waited. One face was notably missing. “Where’s Tony?”

     This brought on another wave of tears from Sheera. “He went off, walking around looking like a zombie. He’s blaming himself. He shouldn’t be alone, but he refused to let anyone get near him.”

     “That’s not going to solve anything,” Jared replied. Damien pulled his face away from Sheera’s neck and looked at him questioningly. “I’ll get near him.” He ran a hand through Damien’s hair and pressed his lips against his temple before taking off, going in the direction Sheera said Tony had gone. On his way outside he passed Shane’s aunt and uncle as they hurried in. They looked shell shocked and terrified.

     Finding Tony wasn’t hard. The man didn’t go far. Of course he wouldn’t. Not when his lover was on the operating table fighting for his life. Tony was in a darkened niche between two parts of the hospital, leaning his forehead against the wall, a hand fisted tightly against the bricks beside his face. That blood-covered hand was trembling.

     “You’re really going to blame yourself for this?” Jared asked coldly as he moved into the niche and out of the bright light of the street lamps.

     Tony’s voice was like gravel as he spoke. “He was right there in my arms when it happened and I didn’t see a fucking thing. He could die and I let it happen.”

     “This is not your fault. If you’re going to blame anyone, blame me.”

     “Fuck off, Newton. You don’t know. You weren’t there.” Tony shifted and turned his back on him.

     Jared didn’t plan on going anywhere. He looked up into the night sky as he leaned against the wall. He would provide silent support because the man obviously needed it and unlike the rest of Tony’s friends, he was composed enough to not listen when Tony told him to shove off.

     “I can’t stay at my place at night if he’s not there,” Tony whispered minutes later and pushed back to lean against the opposite wall. “Either I sneak into his room at night or drag his ass to my place. I can’t take it anymore if he’s not there…” he paused and shook his head and Jared thought Tony was probably laughing at himself. “When it’s impossible to meet up, I feel so lonely until I can see him again. I’ve never been dependent on someone like this before. I never thought I’d ever be dependent on someone like this. I don’t know what I’ll do…” Tony slid down the wall and glared at the dirty ground between his knees.

     Jared moved farther into the niche and pulled something out of his back pocket while watching Tony’s pale face, eyes brimming over with anguish and pain over the thought of losing Shane. Jared nudged his foot and held his hand out when Tony looked at him. Tony took the offered cigarette with a nod.

     “Didn’t know you smoked,” he muttered after lighting up and taking a drag.

     “Sometimes. Mind keeping it a secret?”

     Tony snorted and nodded. “Damien would try to kick your ass if he found out. He still gets annoyed with me and Sheera on occasion.”

     “This I know. Which is why I’m very careful to keep this particular bad habit a secret.”

     Tony looked at him from behind his black fringe. “You really do know him, don’t you?”

     Jared bent down to pluck the cigarette out of Tony’s fingers to take a drag himself. “If you tell anyone what I’m about to say, I’ll kill you.” Tony nodded. “My situation with him is the same as yours is with Shane.” He smiled wryly, “just didn’t realize it until a few months ago.”

     Tony snatched the cigarette back as he stood, pinning Jared with sudden cold eyes. “Did you catch him?”

     Jared looked away. “He got away. But I saw his face, and the license of the car. I even shot the driver… Sorry Tony, but my aim was off. I was aiming for his head. But like I told Damien, I’ll get him.”

     “What about-”

     “Hudson’s on my hit list now,” Jared cut him off, voice very low. If he hadn’t been listening intently, Tony never would have caught the coldly whispered words. “No matter what happens after this, Hudson’s gone. He was unfortunate and stupid enough to start a war with someone who’s already given away his soul. I just need time to… I’ve got to plan. Don’t want any of this coming back to any of us. Just a bit of planning, Tony. Then it’ll be done.”

     “Goddamn, dude. I didn’t want to know, but now I do. Were you grown in a fucking laboratory?”

     Jared shot him a humorless grin. “Something like that. When this is over and Shane’s better and we’re good and sloshed, I’ll tell you the tale. Now come on. You need to get that blood off your hands.” He didn’t give Tony the chance to say no before he grabbed the man’s arm and started to drag him back inside.

    

* * *

 

 An hour passed before a doctor in blue scrubs appeared. The look on her face didn’t ease Tony’s mind in the least and he couldn’t seem to move from the chair as the others crowded around her. All he could do was grab the edge of his seat with white knuckled fists. Jared waited beside him, once again giving his silent support. It was odd how well in tune he was with the man beside him.

     “He’s in stable condition, for now,” the surgeon told Shane’s family. Tony released a breath and tipped his head back against the wall. “But he’s not out of it yet. He’ll need more surgery. Your nephew was stabbed four times,” Rose gasped and her hands flew to cover her mouth, “and he’s lost a lot of blood. By the time he arrived, his body had gone into an acute state of shock because of a cardiac arrest and blood loss, and this alone causes a large amount of trauma to a body. His heart stopped again during surgery and there’s a chance it might happen again as we’re having problems with the internal bleeding. He’s on life support, and though he’s stable now, his condition is still very serious. It’ll be at least twenty-four hours before we can say for sure if he’ll pull through this. Maybe more time than that. At this point, I can’t in good conscious give you a definite time frame.”

     Tony felt like he was going to throw up. He bolted from his chair and started to pace, and before he could stop it, a strangled sob broke free from his throat. Mai rushed over, but Tony pushed her away.

     “Is he awake? Can we see him?” Rose asked as she leaned into Sheera for support.

     “When I left he’d regained consciousness. He’s disorientated and it’s only a matter of minutes before he goes back under. You can have a few minutes before we move him to the ICU. And I’m sorry but only family is allowed to visit at this point,” she said with an apologetic look to those standing behind the Targets.

     Richard walked straight over to Tony and took his arm. “Come on, son.”

     “I’m sorry, sir. But only immediate family-”

     “He is immediate family,” Rich said firmly. The surgeon nodded after looking at Tony and she turned and led them away. Tony couldn’t tell Rich how grateful he was. Didn’t know if he wanted to. He wasn’t sure he wanted to see Shane right now, still on the brink of death and hooked up to a life support machine. Tony was pretty sure he would break down completely. But Shane’s eyes were open when they walked in; glassy and dazed, but open and relief flooded those blue orbs along with recognition when Tony and his family surrounded the bed.

     As Rose bent over to brush Shane’s hair away and kiss his forehead, Shane looked at Tony and moved his hand a breath closer to the railing. Tony instantly took his hand, mindful of the IV tube sticking out. The message in Shane’s eyes was clear enough. _Don’t you fucking blame this on yourself._

     It was easy for Tony to ignore the constant beeping of the heart monitor, the whooshing sound of the ventilator as it supplied air to Shane’s lungs and the horrible image of that tube connected to his boyfriend’s face; and the fact that Shane looked pale and sickly… It was easy to ignore all that when he was looking into Shane’s eyes, and even when Shane looked away- though he kept a hold of Tony’s hand- and looked at the rest of his family, Tony was able to ignore all that. He focused on the blue eyes that had first pulled him to the brat; he focused on the soft words from Rich, Rose, and Sheera… Nothing in the room existed beyond Shane until his boyfriend slipped unconscious again. Then the room became unbearable and Tony was glad when a nurse came in and ushered them out of the room.

     Back in the waiting room, Tony sank down next to Jared and Damien. Richard sat down next to Tony and dropped a hand on his shoulder. “Thanks,” he murmured.

     “I spoke the truth. Besides, you’ve been spending more nights at our home than you have in your own apartment. You should probably just change your mailing address and give me rent.”

     Jared snorted when Tony looked at Rich with embarrassment and shock.

     Rich shook his head in exasperation and his eyes shone with amusement, though it was dulled from the pain of their current situation. “I’m not stupid, Tony. I know you’ve been sneaking in. Been thinking about giving you a damn key to the house. One day that tree outside Sheera’s room in going to break.”

     Jared snorted again and then muttered, “you’d make a terrible spy.”

     “How is he?” Damien whispered.

     “He’s alive.” Really that was all they could say. Because the worst could still happen and all they could do was sit there and wait.

     Soon they all moved to one of the ICU waiting rooms. Jared received a call from Shrod and had to take off. Detectives appeared after they moved to the ICU and took the statements of those who’d been at the club. Tony and his friends explained what happened, but they didn’t give any explicit details. They were in agreement about one thing. This was personal. And since they knew who was behind all this, they were going to settle it themselves and didn’t want the cops involved to get in the way. Tony suspected Rich knew this, but the man stayed quiet. The detectives left, and Tony had a feeling they hadn’t seen the last of them. The detectives didn’t seem convinced they’d been given all known information.

     The rest of the night passed in relative silence. Near dawn they’d been given a good report that Shane did well in the second surgery. After this encouraging news, Rich went home with Sheera so that she could change from her clubbing clothes. Caleb and Mai also left for the same reason as all of their clothes were covered in Shane’s blood. Tony hadn’t realized this until they began to mention it. Yet again he felt the need to vomit as he stared at his shirt and slacks. Shane’s blood was all over. He hadn’t even looked at his clothes while washing the blood off his hands and arms. Mai urged Tony and Damien to go home, change, and maybe eat something, but the two refused. Tony wasn’t going anywhere until he was positive Shane was going to survive this and Damien stated he refused to leave cutie again.

     “Sorry,” Damien whispered when Rose went off for some coffee. Damien hadn’t looked at Tony all night.

       “What for?”

       Damien started chewing on his bottom lip. “I left. At the club. I left…”

       “There’s nothing to be sorry about,” Tony responded tiredly and threw an arm around his best friend’s neck in order to drag Damien against his side. Damien sighed and dropped his head onto Tony’s shoulder. “I know why you left.”

     “He can’t die.”

     Tony dropped his nose into Damien’s bright blue hair and nodded, squeezing his eyes shut.  

     “Excuse me. Are you here for Williamson?” The two looked up and nodded at the nurse, both looking at him with worry. The nurse raised his hands and shook his head. “No. Nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to let you know visiting hours have started. You can go in to see him. Room 214. Down this hall and to the left. Word of advice… when he’s awake or even if he’s not, speak to him. Act normal. It’ll keep him calm, relaxed. He won’t be able to verbally answer you but most patients tend to do better when visitors don’t treat them like broken glass.”

     “Thanks,” Tony said as he stood. The man smiled in understanding before turning to leave. As he left, Tony grabbed Damien’s arm to pull him up.

     “I can’t go in there,” Damien whispered in a small voice. “I left him.”

     “Come on,” Tony prodded and yanked his friend to his feet. “He’ll want to see you when he wakes up. And truthfully I’ll need you there because it’s hard seeing Shane like that.”

     As Tony pulled him down the hall, Damien took comfort in the strong grip on his arm, though that hand was shaking. They both needed a distraction. “Daddy sent for Shane’s mother,” he murmured as they came to the closed door of room 214. “Had a private jet waiting for her at the Freemon airport. She should be here in a couple of hours.”

     “That was nice of him.”

     “He likes Shane.”

     For the first time in hours, Tony cocked a grin. “You mean he likes Shane’s brains.”

     Damien returned his grin. “Yes, Daddy did admit that.”

     Tony took a deep breath and opened the door. He thought he’d have to drag Damien in, but once the Shrod heir caught sight of Shane’s prone body, Damien shot into the room like a bullet and was beside the brat in an instant; patting Shane’s hair, touching his face, and basically crying all over him.

     “Dude, stop it,” Tony hissed as he shut the door. “We’re supposed to treat him normally. Not like broken glass, remember?”

     Tony and Damien dragged chairs over to sit side by side next to the bed and spent a moment simply staring at Shane. “You’re right. It is hard. Makes me want to rip that tube right off his face. He’s supposed to be smiling. Cutie always smiles!”

     “Damien…”

     “I’m not really going to do it.”

      Tony picked up Shane’s hand, rubbing a thumb over his knuckles. They were both surprised when Shane’s eyes slowly opened and moved to look at them.

     “Brat.”

     Shane’s unfocused eyes seemed to brighten and his body relaxed minutely.

     “Cutie? Do you know who you are?”

     Tony rolled his eyes as he absently played with Shane’s fingers. “He wasn’t hit in the head, stupid.”

     Shane looked at Damien and slowly pointed at him. “Hmm? Me?” Shane nodded and then drew the letter J in the air. “Geez. You are soooo nosy. Should you be this nosy already?” Shane slowly nodded. Then his eyes crinkled with a smile when Damien blushed. “I guess… I guess we’re together now. I don’t know. We were,” Damien dropped his eyes, “we were kissing when it happened. To you. I don’t know…”

     Shane’s eyes narrowed on him. Tony couldn’t help but grin and nudge Damien until he looked back at Shane. Seeing that narrowed gaze, Damien felt his heart lighten at having Shane act as he normally did; yet he heaved a dramatic sigh just for effect. “Fine. This unfortunate situation will not damage the progress Jared and I have made. Does that make you happy, cutie?”

       Apparently it did, because Shane’s eyes were back to being bright smiling jewels. However that didn’t last long and after a minute his blue eyes filled with pain. Shane grimaced and pushed a button that supplied more painkillers and soon he relaxed back and closed his eyes. Tony looked pointedly at Damien.

     “I’m going to go find Rose and let her know we’re allowed in. Be back in a few. Don’t go anywhere, cutie.”

     Shane nodded without opening his eyes. Once the door was shut behind Damien, Tony stood and lowered the bed railing. Shane opened his eyes and his look was inquisitive as Tony was just standing there staring down at him.

     “When this is all over I’m seriously thinking about taking you to a cave somewhere. I’ll seal it off and we can live there forever.”

     Shane lifted his arms as far as they could go without causing himself pain. Tony bent over him, brushing lips against Shane’s forehead, his cheeks, over his eyelids; running his hands over his hair. “You better pull through this, Shane,” he whispered hoarsely against the brat’s hair. “I can’t… I need-” he cut himself off, not able to go on due to the lump stuck in his throat. Tony felt Shane’s hand grip the back of his neck tightly.

     Tony glanced over to the door someone opened it. A softly smiling black woman with long black braids entered carrying a bundle of dark blue scrubs in her hands. “Hi, Tony.”

     Tony straightened up but didn’t pull away from the bed and kept a tight hold on Shane’s hand. “Hey, Sara.”

     Sara studied the two as she walked over to stand on the opposite side of the bed, and then looked down to Shane. “Hello, Shane. I’m Caleb’s sister, Sara. I managed to coerce my superiors into letting me handle your case. Hope you don’t mind?”

     Shane shook his head that he didn’t mind. She beamed a pearly white smile at him and then looked to Tony and passed over the bundle of clothes she was holding. “Caleb also told me you and Damien refused to leave Shane’s side to go home and change. So I’ve brought you these. I want you to go to the bathroom right now and put these on. I’ll keep Shane company while you’re gone. Right now, mister.”

     “Alright, Sara! Christ, no need to treat me like a three year old.”

     Shane watched Tony huff off to the bathroom, then slowly his eyes focused on the nurse.

     Sara took up his chart before rounding the bed and sitting in Tony’s vacated seat. “I’m sorry we had to meet under these circumstances, Shane. But I am finally glad to meet you. Caleb’s told me a lot about you… about how you came around and stole Tony’s heart right out from under him.” She smiled teasingly and was pleased to see color reach the patient’s cheeks; that was a good sign. Normal circulation. “Now, the doctor will be in soon to explain what’s been going on. You haven’t been awake long enough for anyone to explain your condition. But I will prepare you for what you will hear from the doctor. You were hurt badly, Shane. Stabbed four times. And your condition is still very serious. But I want you to know we’ll do everything possible to help you. Understand?”

     Shane nodded slowly, slight panic and fear entering his eyes. Sara was glad when Tony appeared again. He seemed to have a calming effect on Shane.    

     “Sara!”

     The nurse turned to find Damien coming through the door. She stood, grabbed up the other set of scrubs, tossing them to Damien and ordered him straight to the bathroom.

     Damien looked at the material in his hands and pouted. “Ugh! This doesn’t even match my hair! Don’t you have something else? Something that’s more aesthetically pleasing? Black would go with my hair. And not that washed out black. I’m talking stark black here, hun…”

     “You get into the bathroom and change!”

     She turned back to the bed in time to see Shane eyeing Tony in the scrubs. The young man looked into his boyfriend’s eyes and lifted his eyebrows in a teasing manner. Sara smiled. At least he was in good spirits. Tony laughed and ruffled Shane’s hair before moving away to speak to Sara.

     “When can he breathe without that thing?” he asked quietly. “I don’t understand why he needs to be on life support. Come on, Sara. They won’t tell me anything.”

     Sara gave him a sympathetic look, knowing it was true. They didn’t consider Tony family and therefore wouldn’t answer any of his questions to the full extent. But she wouldn’t hold out on him. “The injuries sustained and the amount of blood lost put Shane’s body in hypovolemic shock. This puts huge amounts of stress on organ functions, Tony. And because he’s had more than one cardiac arrest, we want to make sure his systems are getting enough oxygen, which is why he needs the life support now,” she explained quietly as she glanced at the patient, noting he was on his way to dreamland once again. “They plan to take him off the ventilator tomorrow if all stays well.”

     As if Fate had it out for them, the life support machines began to beep irregularly, bringing Sara’s attention to the fact Shane’s blood pressure was falling at an alarming rate. And worriedly his heartbeat was slowing as well. Shane quickly slipped unconscious and it had nothing to do with the medication.

     “Sara?” Tony inquired lowly as she rushed away to check the monitors. That was when Damien came out from the bathroom, scowling down at the scrubs that were without any sort of fashion. He stopped short, seeing the worried look on Sara and Tony’s faces.

     “Sara,” Tony repeated as he bent over Shane, “talk to me.”    

     Sara quickly rounded the bed and pushed Tony back against the wall to take his place beside the bed. Quickly she leaned over and slapped a red button on the wall. “CODE BLUE IN 214!”  

     The room quickly filled with a medical team and Sara was made to push Tony and Damien out of the room. The last thing Tony heard was the sound of Shane’s heart monitor flat lining.


	16. Episode Sixteen

“Tony.” The man lifted his red tired eyes to the two figures standing in the doorway of the waiting room. They took one look at his face and rushed to him.

     “Ma,” he croaked. He couldn’t help it, sounding so weak. Sounding defeated. His world was crumbling. Shane had seemed fine. The brat had even been flirting with him and then suddenly he slipped into another cardiac arrest. No one would tell him anything and Damien had gone off; probably locked himself into a bathroom stall to cry his eyes out. “Ma, he….”

     Lauretta engulfed her distraught son in a tight embrace while Jerry sat next to him and gripped his arm.  

     “Think- I think he’s going to die,” he whispered hollowly. “Heart keeps stopping. And they won’t tell me a goddamned thing! I don’t know what to do.” His eyes lifted to ones identical to his own. “Why is this happening? Why won’t they tell me anything?”

     “Let me just go and pry some information,” Jerry said as he stood. Lauretta gave him a relieved smile and then returned her attentions to a very distraught Tony.

     “He was smiling,” Jerry heard Tony say. “He was smiling at me…”

     When Jerry returned, the waiting room was full. Everyone looked up when he entered. “He’s back in surgery. I was told they aren’t sure why his heart keeps giving out. We won’t know anything else until surgery has ended.”

     Tony leaned forward and dropped his face into his hands. Beside him, he sensed Sheera shifting and let her draw him into a one armed hug, while on the other side Mai started rubbing his back in circles, probably to soothe both of them. Tony’s mother and Jerry stood off across the room in a corner with Rich and Rose, the four of them speaking quietly. Damien had returned, looking pale with red rimmed eyes and was now sitting beside Caleb; both facing Tony and the girls. They’d gathered their chairs together in order to stay close. Once again, Tony appreciated how close their bonds were with each other. No one had to say anything and he could feel the support. Though he found it odd he noticed Jared’s absence and wondered when exactly that man became so close to them.

     But Jared wasn’t absent for long. He appeared, sprinting into the room minutes later, lines of worry etched on his brow. He didn’t ask about Shane, but with the way everyone was looking he didn’t really need to, and Damien had probably explained the situation when he called the other man back to the hospital. Tony smiled slightly when Damien stood to give Jared his seat, and then promptly plopped back down into the man’s lap. Apparently Damien was taking Shane’s silent warning to heart and not let this horrible incident disrupt their growing relationship. Tony was glad about this and knew Shane would be too. It was actually pretty funny. The current look of shock on Jared’s face. But Tony had always known if Damien were ever to become personal with someone and ever let his guard down, he knew that his best friend would be someone who needed to be touched. He needed physical affection. Damien was a touchy feely person with his best friends and family. Jared wasn’t going to get out of that.

     “Rose,” a hoarse voice called from the doorway. Everyone looked up to find Shane’s mother standing there. It was easy to guess she was his mother; Shane had gotten his looks from her. Everything. From the incredibly straight but upturned nose, the huge blue eyes, dark blonde hair, and slender build. Shane was a male version of the woman hovering precariously in the doorway clutching onto her purse for dear life.

     “Aunt Daisy!” Sheera cried as she left her seat and converged on her aunt along with Rose. The Target women threw their arms around Shane’s mom just as Mr. Shrod walked in behind them. He gently ushered them over to some chairs.

     “Daddy went to meet her at the airport and personally escorted her here,” Damien whispered when Tony looked at him. That half explained why Shrod was here. Rose sat beside Daisy and started to stroke the woman’s hair. Tony couldn’t seem to pull his eyes away from the anguish on Shane’s mother’s face as Rose went on to explain the situation.

       Rose was rocking her younger sister in her arms when a doctor appeared in the waiting room, still wearing surgery scrubs, blood splatters on his front. Tony turned away from the surgeon when he saw the man had purposely drawn a blank face. As his eyes dropped to the floor, he saw Rose, Rich, and Shane’s mom rush over to meet him.

     “Ms. Williamson?”

     “Yes.”

     The surgeon crossed his arms in front of him. “We were able to stabilize your son. His wounds had been far deeper than previously perceived within the ER. I was able to catch it in time and have stopped the internal bleeding. But there’s a chance his heart may stop again… You should prepare yourself if that happens. It’s very unlikely he would survive after another cardiac arrest.”

     There was more. Tony could hear it in the surgeon’s carefully emotionless voice. Apparently Rich could tell as well because he demanded to know the rest.

       “I’m sure you’ve been told before, but Mr. Williamson’s body had already suffered massive trauma, and after this last cardiac arrest… I’m sorry to say your son has fallen into a coma.”

      

* * *

 

Tony had fallen in on himself when they were told Shane fell into a coma and it was uncertain if he’d pull out of it. He was living his worst nightmare. Everyone begged him to go home, get some sleep. But he refused. He could sleep on the couch in the waiting room when he wasn’t allowed to sit beside Shane’s bed.

     Damien, Sheera and Caleb would have done the same. But Rich had dragged his distraught wife and daughter home for a few hours a day for rest and nourishment, and Jared and Shrod forcibly pulled Damien away- the blond practically kicking and screaming as they did so… Tony pulled through his grief just enough to be able to laugh a little when Jared returned hours later with a black eye and a bandage on his arm. Mai and Sara convinced Caleb to leave for a little bit. But everyone always returned to sit vigil beside Shane’s bed. Talking to Shane, talking to each other, doing whatever they could to pass the time until Shane woke up.

     The second day into Shane’s coma, Tony finally came face to face with his lover’s mother. They were left alone in Shane’s room and for minutes nothing was said as they stared at Shane’s still form. Tony felt the fear rising in him again as he watched Shane’s chest slowly rising and falling with the help of a fucking machine. Shane wasn’t supposed to be sleeping on his back. He didn’t like sleeping on his back. Shane wasn’t supposed to be so still. The stupid brat could never stay still for long.

       Daisy cleared her throat and finally looked at him. “So, Tony? I think it’s time we were acquainted.”

     “You should hate me,” he whispered. Grief making his voice harsher than he’d intended.

     But she smiled sadly at him. “Well that’s impossible now after I’ve seen the way you grieve for my son. I couldn’t possibly hate you. And you weren’t the one to stab my son, so you are not responsible. Let’s not talk about it again.” She said this so firmly that Tony could only nod. Her attitude strangely reminded him of Shrod. “So, care to tell me how you two met.”

     Tony went on to tell her even though he knew Shane had told her all this before. Tony had learned his boyfriend rarely kept secrets from his mother, despite the brat being overly independent. She went on to ask him a number of things that Tony knew she must know the answers too, but he answered them all truthfully anyway because he figured she was still judging him as boyfriend material. And somehow, he realized, she’d drawn him into a discussion about Shane to help them both over the grieving. And it worked to an extent. Soon he was more relaxed then he’d been the entire time at the hospital.

     “Thanks,” he finally said. “You… he’s so much like you. I feel comfortable with you.”

   Daisy smiled and leaned forward to sweep Shane’s hair away from his face. “Don’t let him hear you say that. Everyone is always saying that.” She ran a thumb over Shane’s cheek. “He hates it.”

     It was then Damien burst in holding a large bouquet of red roses. Tony rolled his eyes. Damien always had to make an entrance. The blond was closely followed by Jared, who also carried a bouquet- and looked disturbed doing so. Jared was also sporting another black eye. Damien said nothing as he set his bouquet down beside the numerous other flowers and get well cards. Tony cracked a grin when the blond snatched the other bouquet from Jared’s arms and gave him a baleful glare while doing so. Jared rolled his eyes. Tony knew Jared was only allowing Damien to get away with the violence without repercussions because of Shane’s condition. Jared knew how much Damien cared for Shane. And Jared himself wasn’t unaffected by having Shane laid out like this. His usually cool eyes expressed it every time he walked into the room. But despite the blond’s resistance and anger, Jared took Damien out of the hospital as much as possible. And Tony understood. Damien’s mental state would hit rock bottom if they allowed the blond to stay and despair.

     Tony smirked at the supposedly British man when Jared sat next to him. “No fork wounds today?”

     “Fuck off! Err… pardon me,” he quickly said to Shane’s mom.

     Jared and Damien looked uncomfortable for a moment. They hadn’t spoken to Shane’s mother at all. Maybe they were afraid. They probably felt the same way he did. That they were responsible for this whole thing. Tony shook his head after thinking that, knowing Shane would be furious with him to know they all felt responsible and guilty. Damien was quick to overcome the awkwardness and sat next to the mother of the boy he’d easily accepted. To the boy he thought as a little brother and struck up a conversation with her.

     It was apparent at first that Ms. Williamson had no idea what to make of Damien, but soon she seemed to enjoy the blond’s charm and wit and general childishness. Tony briefly wondered how long it had taken her to accept the fact that Shane preferred men. But by the way she interacted with them, Tony was willing to bet she hadn’t really reacted badly to it at all. And really, when Damien decided to be charming, there wasn’t one person on the planet that could stop from taking a liking to him. He had that sort of adorable quality to him… when he wasn’t being psycho.

     “I must thank you and your father for helping me here so quickly,” Daisy said after some time when a lull in the conversation had occurred.

     “We’re loaded! We can do anything,” Damien exclaimed with a childish grin. “And getting you to your son was the most important thing!”

   “Hasn’t anyone told you being too conceited is a bad thing,” Jared griped.

     Tony snorted at that. “Dude, you have no room to talk. You were the epitome of conceit the first time we met. Remember me punching you unconscious when you called Shane a… Um, never mind.”

     “I’m still not talking to you!” Damien hissed at Jared. “Hope your wound is infected!”

     “Seeing as you injured me with a dirty fork, I’m sure it is.”

     “YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO DRAG ME AWAY FROM CUTIE!”

     The boys grew quiet when Shane’s mother started laughing delightedly, and they watched her curiously. She saw their expressions and waved around at them. “Shane’s told me about you all. He’s right. You bunch are quite the characters. I can see why he likes you…”

     Damien smiled. “Yeah, he likes us… but he loves Tony.”

     “Shut up, Damien.”

     “You shut up, Newton!”

     “Both of you shut up.”

     Daisy lifted her eyes just in time to see Tony roll his. Apparently this sort of arguing happened all the time.

 

* * *

 

      The next evening Sheera and Mai sat alone with Shane. Mai spent time humming softly and massaging his legs while Sheera’s gaze hardly ever strayed from her baby cousin’s face.

     “Can’t believe Jared was able to get Tony to leave the room, even for just a little while,” she said after a while, desperately trying to ignore the vibrating whooshes of the ventilator beside her.

     “He didn’t force him out of the hospital. Just to the cafeteria.”

     A knock on the door had the two women turning to it. Sheera groaned and turned back to Shane. “What do you want? I’ve already called in and explained. If you’re here to bitch at me than take a hike.”

     Jake Strathom moved in only when Mai gave him a smile. “I wanted to let you know you can have as much time off as you need. And I came to offer support.”

     Sheera, still looking at Shane, blinked in surprise while Mai covered her wide smile with a hand. “Well… thanks, Jake.”

     Jake moved further in the room and came to stand on the other side of the bed so he was facing Sheera. “How is he?”

     Sheera dropped her chin to the rail. “He’s in a coma.”

     “A coma?” That was news. Jake had only known about the stabbing.

     Knowing there were no words of comfort for this situation, he simply sat down and wondered how this had happened and why. Since the moment she found out Shane planned on coming to Allmsted, Sheera had talked of nothing else. She’d been very excited about him moving up. And then once he’d moved, Sheera couldn’t help but gush over how happy she was that her cousin was here. Nor could she hide her excitement when Shane and Tony soon became a couple. Jake thought back to the day he met Shane and as he stared down at the boy in the bed, he shook his head in sad wonder. He knew Shane was eighteen, but the boy he was currently looking at…the figure laying still and hooked up to life support looked nothing like he had that day. Jake would swear this kid was nothing over sixteen if he hadn’t ever laid eyes on him before. Sixteen and pale as death. This was fucking tragic.

     “How’d your business trip go?” Sheera asked, cutting off those thoughts.

     “Cut it short to come here, but before everything was good. On schedule.” He shrugged his shoulders. That wasn’t really important at the moment.

       Sheera hid her surprise and smiled wryly. “I don’t suppose you’ve decided to stay at one of the new stores.”

     Jake smiled devilishly at her. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

     “Undoubtedly,” she replied with a sniff before sticking her nose in the air.

     “Liar.”

     Mai laughed and then looked away when Sheera glared at her.

     Damien breezed into the room then, grinning and holding a large stuffed teddy bear. Jared and Tony came in soon after. Jared had his arm slung companionably over Tony’s slumped shoulders and was talking quietly to him. Mai and Sheera looked at each other in surprise. Apparently those two were better friends than they’d first thought. The moment Jared caught sight of Jake, his arm dropped and he stared at the storeowner blankly, his defensive mode popping up in seconds.

     “Damien, you think he wants that?” Tony inquired of his friend when Damien snuggled the bear beside Shane’s arm. “He’ll throw it at you when he wakes up.”

    Damien smiled sadly at Shane. “Hope so.”

     “He _will_ ,” Tony said forcibly.

     Damien nodded before training his eyes on the man sitting in Tony’s designated chair. “Jakie! Did you bring me new clothes?”

     Jake stretched his legs out and grinned a sardonic smile. “How many times do I need to tell you not to call me that?”

     “But you’re so hot!” Damien replied, fanning himself with his hand. “Anyone as hot as you needs to have a cute nickname! Don’t you think so, Sheera?”

     “I think his personality dims the hotness,” she replied with a cheeky grin.

     Tony watched Jared’s eyes grow cold and he felt the man beside him tense with murderous rage. “Dude, chill,” he whispered. “I can feel the heat from here. Jake’s straight. Damien only flirts with him because he is straight. Calm down. He’s only doing it to piss you off.”

     Jared curled his lip and pulled away. Moving to lean against the small closet behind Sheera, he sneered at Jake as he crossed his arms over his chest. The man’s eyes narrowed a moment later when Damien looked at him from under half lidded eyes, flashing a little smirk.

     Tony snorted as he moved away and then stood beside Jake. “Great to see you. Now move.”

     “Excuse me?” he asked, not used to Tony being so brusque and rude.

     Damien patted his shoulder. “You’re sitting in Tony’s designated chair. That’s his spot. His name’s on the back of it even.”

     “No it’s not,” Mai said laughing.

     “Oh yes it is! Come look.”

     Jake shrugged and stood, then nodded when Tony said thanks and dropped into it, instantly scooping up Shane’s hand in his. Mai and Sheera ran around to look at the back of the chair, Jake doing the same. Tony’s name was scratched into the back of it.

     “Don’t look at me,” Tony said in defense when the girls gave him incredulous looks. “I wouldn’t do something so immature.” Their gazes immediately went to Damien who grinned without shame.

    

* * *

      

Tony scowled at the three people who towered over him from where he sat on the waiting room couch. “No,” he stated again.

     “Boy! You need fresh air! You can’t stay here twenty-four hours a day worrying about Shane!” Jerry nearly bellowed. “You can’t put your life on hold forever!”

     Lauretta smiled at her stubborn son in understanding. “I know it hurts to leave him, but don’t you think Shane might be angry to know you’re putting your own health at risk?”

     “I’m fine, Ma,” he groaned out. “I get food. I shower. Damien brings me clothes… I’m not lacking anything but Shane. There’s no reason to leave right now.”

     Shrod scowled at his stubbornness. “I’ll fire you, Tony. Do you want that?”

     “Don’t care. Fire me for all I care. I’m not going anywhere.”

     “What about school?”

     “I can catch up. I’ve already called my professors and Shane’s professors and most of them are completely understanding of the situation.”

     “Tony,” his mother began.

     “I’m not going anywhere! Shane’s gonna wake up,” he said with all certainty, “and I want to be here when he does! Just leave me alone about this!” Tony shot to his feet when Jared appeared. He rushed a hand through his hair. “Fuck!” he snapped as he passed by the other man. After a moment’s thought, Jared followed after him.

     Lauretta sighed. “That didn’t go well,” she murmured to the two men beside her. “Thank you for trying, Damien. I really thought he might listen to you if not us.”

     “Maybe we should listen to him and believe as he does that Shane will wake up. I confess to having a doubt,” Shrod tapped his chin. “But I suppose he’ll get his punishment when Shane wakes up. At least Jared’s able to get him to step out of the hospital for a few minutes.”

     Outside, within that same niche, Tony and Jared shared a cigarette. Jared stood silently while Tony went on to rant about the inability of some people to understand why he couldn’t think about leaving. About how he knew he’d be sick if he so much as stepped across the street.

     “On a brighter note,” Jared finally interrupted when he’d had enough of the rant, “I’ve been casing out the Sevens’ regular haunts. I’m pretty sure I’ve got all of their hang outs noted.”

     “What good is that going to do? You’re after Hudson. Not the whole gang,” Tony murmured when he passed the cigarette to Jared.

     “Who says?” Jared smiled coldly. “I’m not stopping with Hudson. In fact he’ll be the last. I’ve learned Shane’s not the only one to have been hurt from Hudson’s need for greed. In fact, Shane’s the only one who has survived at this point. Right now I’m in the mood to wipe the Sevens away. Are you interested?”

     “Um…” Tony was certain what he wanted with Hudson, but did he have the nerve to do what Jared was inviting him to do. He wasn’t certain he had the balls for it.

     “It’s only fair to ask. But I wouldn’t think any less of you if you said no. I half expect you to say no. And I don’t really need help. You’re an amateur after all. You’d probably fuck up and get me killed,” Jared ended with a smirk and pulled in a lung full of smoke.

     “Fuck you, man!”

     “Tony? That you?”

     Jared’s eyes flew wide. He quickly exhaled and moved to stand beside Tony near the wall, passing the green-eyed brunet the cigarette as he did so. Tony had a shit eating grin on his face.

     “Cover for me or you’re dead,” Jared hissed just before Damien came into view. “Princess,” he said when Damien narrowed his eyes on them. He walked into the niche, waving his hands in front of him to clear the smoke. He jerked the cigarette out of Tony’s hand and threw it to the ground before walking straight to Jared and pressing their lips together. Tony heard Jared suck in a breath and his eyes widened further. A moment later, after Jared had kept his mouth firmly shut, Damien pulled back and bared his teeth like a feral animal.

     “Knew it,” he hissed. He sidestepped and glared at Tony.

     Tony shook his head. “I didn’t-”

     Damien threw his knee up into his best friend’s stomach. Jared was so shocked and staring at the doubled over brunet that he let his guard down and had no time to block Damien’s punch to his own stomach. “DIE FROM CANCER FOR ALL I CARE!” he shrieked as he left their little alcove.

     “Fuck me,” Jared wheezed. “For a little thing, he packs a fucking punch. Damn Shrod and his insistence that Damien take karate…”

     Tony coughed. “Stomach’s in my throat right now.”

    

* * *

 

 Shane woke up feeling like his brain was literally a pile of goo. No thoughts immediately could get through. Only the feeling of his discomfort, the feeling of his body being a dead weight; his sides burning as if on fire, chest tight and feeling bruised, and his throat felt raw and it burned when he tried to swallow. All in all, Shane felt like shit.

     It took a while with him simply lying there, but after some time, thoughts started streaming back to him. Being back at the Sage Haze, having fun, dancing, finally admitting to Tony that he loved the asshole and Tony’s positive reaction to the admission… And then there was pain and Tony was screaming at him to stay awake. Shane thought back to that instance feeling confused. Fear and pain had clouded his mind then and he’d been sure he would never see Tony again after that night. Tony had sounded terrified too. Shane’s memory was hazy still… why had he felt like that?

     Shane continued to think about it and remembered waking up to find his family and Tony standing at the side of the bed. Tony’s guilty expression. Waking again in another room to find Tony and Damien sitting beside him. A nurse with long black braids… _SOME FUCKER STABBED ME!_

Shane’s eyes popped open when that thought crashed angrily to the front of his mind. But relief quickly replaced the anger when he found his mother standing at the side of the bed talking quietly with Aunt Rose. They both had tears in their eyes. “He’ll wake up, Daisy. Shane’s a strong one,” Aunt Rose was saying. “He’s a fighter.”

     “But that doctor said… he may never come out of the coma. And it’s been five days, Rose. If it were temporary… he should have woken up by now.”

     “He _will_ wake up.”

     Shane frowned. Coma? Had he been in a coma? He was having a hard time believing that as his eyes continued to roam around the room. No one else was there. Shane returned his attentions to his mother and moved his hand over to tap the finger covered with a small white pulse monitor against the railing to get her attention. She immediately looked down, and for a moment it looked like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. His mother stood there and blinked down at him, slowly wiping her tears away with two fingers.  
     “Shane!” Aunt Rose exclaimed and then jostled her sister’s shoulder. “He’s awake, Daisy!”

     “Baby! Oh God!” Daisy sobbed uncontrollably as she bent down and wrapped her arms around his head. Shane breathed in her scent deeply, having missed her terribly. “You’re awake! We’ve been so afraid…” she went on to cry her relief against the top of his head and Shane slowly lifted his hand to grip her arm. He felt Aunt Rose’s hand sifting through his hair at the same time.

     Daisy pulled away to look at her sister. “Could you go get the doctor? And Tony,” she laughed; it was a happy hysterical laugh. “Let’s put the poor young man out of his misery.”

     Rose beamed. She dropped a kiss to Shane’s forehead before turning and rushing out of the room. Daisy smiled a watery smile. “You’ve given all of us a terrible fright, Shane.”

     Shane desperately wished to tell her everything was fine, but a tube was stuck down his throat and he could do nothing but stare at her dazedly. Soon Tony was rushing into the room behind a doctor. Seeing his eyes open, Tony flashed a gorgeous smile and was beside the bed in an instant. There was so much in Tony’s green eyes, and yet he stayed silent, simply staring at him and Shane knew he was being quiet due to his mother and aunt being present and listening to the doctor rattle off as she checked Shane’s vitals.

     Shane didn’t really care if they weren’t alone. He wanted to chase away the haunted look in his boyfriend’s eyes. Wanted to apologize for the worry given to Tony. But Tony looked rooted to the spot, his eyes raking over Shane’s face, while Aunt Rose and his mother fawned over him and listened to the doctor’s pleasing reports of his recovery.

     “You are one very strong individual, Shane,” the doctor told him with a pretty smile. “A medical marvel,” she said as she flashed a light into Shane’s eyes, checking brain function and giving another relieved smile, as if she had doubted his mental state if he ever did wake.

     Daisy swept back his hair. “How do you feel?”

     _Actually I feel like I’m on fire._ A grimace was all he could manage. He hadn’t wanted to show pain, but it was actually starting to become unbearable.

     The doctor announced a nurse would be in soon with medication. She smiled at her patient, happy to see him awake and already recovering. Apparently the coma had done well to help Shane recover. There was no more worry of another cardiac arrest.

It wasn’t long before the room was filled with people who watched him with worried eyes and soon Shane was being filled in on all that had happened to him. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. No wonder everyone looked so worried. Apparently his heart had given out three times since he’d been stabbed. And he’d been in three surgeries _and_ fell into a five day coma. Actually, he thought numbly, he shouldn’t have been able to survive at all with three cardiac arrests. This explained why everyone was looking at him as if they expected he would die at any moment despite the doctor’s assurances that he was well on his way to making a full recovery.

     Shane was still taking all this in when the nurse arrived, smiling a bright smile at him. And now seeing the nurse again, he remembered she was Caleb’s sister and yes! she immediately set to putting pain relievers into his IV. Sara explained he would be going back under in several minutes, as that was better for patients who needed a ventilator so they shouldn’t worry when he began to feel himself returning to sleep. _Don’t want to go back to sleep. I don’t even need this stupid machine. I can breathe fine on my own. It was my sides, not my lungs stabbed._ But Shane did fall asleep quickly after that; he fell asleep to Tony’s smile and a warm firm hand surrounding his own and his mom’s soothing voice.      

     When he woke again, only his friends, his mother, and Mr. Shrod were there. Shane was actually surprised to see Damien’s father. Tony was still beside the bed, taking up two chairs. His ass in one while his legs were spread out to rest on another, and he was fast asleep. Damien stood back behind Daisy, leaning against the small cupboard with his head on Jared’s shoulder while the British man lowly discussed something with Mr. Shrod.

     When Jared saw Shane was conscious once again he grabbed Damien’s arm and shook him awake before dragging him around the bed. He kicked Tony’s legs off the chair, effectively waking the brunet, before shoving Damien into the now empty chair. Tony shot out of his seat, eyes instantly shooting fearfully to the bed. Shane glared at Jared for making his boyfriend worry like that. The stupid man smirked at him.

     “Thank God you’re awake! Jesus, Shane…” Tony started muttering, “you’ve been unconscious for hours. I’ve been going out of my mind… You came out of that coma, and then went to sleep right after… Don’t do that again!” Tony didn’t seem to care he and Shane weren’t alone, but that didn’t bother Shane in the least. He wanted his mother to see how Tony was with him. Shane hardly kept things from her and he talked to her almost every other day, so of course she knew about Tony. His mother had indicated that she was uncertain about his boyfriend after finding out Tony was an older man. Looking at her now though, Shane thought she didn’t seem against Tony now. She was smiling at him now, and Shane knew his mother enough that he could tell it was true and open.

     Tony would have continued to rant out all the pent up tension, but Jared knocked him upside the head, causing Damien to snicker loudly behind his hand.

     “Sorry. I’m sorry. I’m calm. You’re calm, right Shane?”

     Shane nodded. He felt heavy though. He felt himself going back to sleep. He didn’t want to. He wanted to stay awake and listen to his friends and family. He was afraid to fall back asleep.

     “Hey, calm down, brat.” Tony was suddenly bending over him and running fingers through his hair. “You’ll be okay. Cause if not I’ll kick your ass. Got it?”

     Shane smiled. _Yeah. I got it, freaking asshole._

“Good.”

       Daisy watched her son smile around the horrid breathing machine, watched as his blue eyes fairly shone with relief and love, and she in turn sighed in relief. No longer worried that the man her son was seeing might not be good for him when obviously Tony knew her son well and knew what he needed to stay strong.

     When Tony realized how he’d spoken and in front of her, his gaze jerked to hers and he blushed; Daisy’s smile widened at his embarrassment. Tony’s worry for Shane since she’d been there had not gone unnoticed. Several times she thought he might come undone with grief and he probably would have if not for his friends. Daisy thought she might like this young man. His mother was certainly nice enough; Lauretta loved Shane, and the woman couldn’t stop gushing over how good Shane’s Italian was.

 

* * *

 

 When Shane woke again, the room was dimly lit and it was dark outside. Tony was still there beside him- did the guy never leave his side- along with Damien, Jared, Caleb, Mai, and Sheera. They were having a particularly interesting conversation. So interesting that Shane stayed silent so that he could listen in.

     “You’re saying the guy who did this to Shane is dead?” Sheera hissed at Jared.

     “I don’t believe I stuttered, Sheera.”

       “Don’t be a jack ass.”

       Shane smiled around the breathing tube. Caleb cleared his throat. “Did you do it?”

       “Do you really want to know?”

       “I do!” Damien chirped, and he didn’t seem the least bit worried that Jared could have done it.

       “Yeah. I want to know too,” was Tony’s input. Jared looked uncertain as to if he wanted to bring it all out into the open. Shane could see the indecision in his eyes. Tony poked Jared’s chest. “You’ve already told me enough, no need to be shy now.” That earned him a glare, a shove, and still more silence.

     Damien crossed his arms and started to tap his fingers against his arm impatiently. “We’re not about to give away your secrets, sweetie.”

     Jared’s look of indecision passed after staring at his would be lover for long moments. “I finished the job.”

     “That’s not near enough information,” Damien whined. “I want to know details.”

     “Apparently my shots weren’t as off as I thought, and I found both the driver and passenger had gone to a private clinic down in south side. It was easy to track them after that. They both had Sevens’ tattooed between their knuckles.”

      “Still, you’re leaving out details, man,” said Caleb.

     “Tell us, already!” Mai surprised everyone by saying. “What exactly did you do?”

     “I…” Jared blew out a breath and scratched the back of his neck. “I’m certain you don’t want to know.”

     “Look, dude. We’ve all decided you’re more dangerous than Damien. Colder. We still like you. Tell us already,” Caleb hissed.

     “I returned the favor.”

     Damien’s eyes narrowed when he figured out just what that meant. “You went all gung-ho with pointy objects without me!” he shrieked. “You promised I could have revenge!”

     “You can help with Hudson and the others.”

     Shane was uncertain as to what the appropriate reaction would be to hearing Jared’s words, but he didn’t feel outrage or disgust or fear. Actually he thought maybe something was wrong with him because he felt pleased. Because FUCK he almost died! He’d been in a coma for five fucking days! His mother had been made to cry!

     Shane tapped the railing, and then choked on a laugh as six heads whipped in his direction, all eyes wide and horrified that he’d heard what they were talking about.

     Damien recovered first. He would. “Cutie!” he cried and shoved Tony aside so that he could press his face into the curve of Shane’s neck. Shane smiled and his eyes closed.

     When he opened them again it was to find Sheera, Tony, Mai, and Caleb arguing over whether they should get help and he realized he must have dozed off again for a few minutes. Damien was standing there with his hands in his hair- hair that was no longer blue and was back to being his natural blond color- and his eyes tightly shut. Jared stood behind the Shrod heir with his arm slung loosely around the panicking blond’s neck. He was staring down at Shane with an unreadable expression until he saw Shane was no longer sleeping.

     “Shut up. He’s awake,” Jared said.

     Damien gasped and his eyes popped opened. “He was just sleeping!” The blond dropped his arms on the railing and smiled brightly at Shane. Just too relieved to do anything else. Shane didn’t mind. Damien had a pretty smile when it wasn’t a twisted psychotic one.

     “Told you,” Sheera sniffed. “The monitors would have gone off if something was wrong, and the doctor did say he would be sleeping a lot.”

     “This whole goddamned situation is wrong!” Tony growled.

     “Tony, please keep your voice down,” Mai said.

     The brunet clamped his mouth shut and busied himself with returning his boyfriend’s gaze. Shane didn’t look any better and it made his heart pound furiously and shatter at the same time. He sank down into the chair and took a deep breath before dropping his forehead onto the railing. He saw Shane’s arm shift and immediately reached out to take his hand.

     “Man, we’re just glad you’re back with us,” Caleb said to Shane.

     “How are you feeling, cuz? Need me to fetch a nurse for some pain kill?” Sheera asked softly.

       Shane nodded, but before Sheera could go, a nurse came in with the blessed medication. However she also had bad news and said visiting hours were over. Neither Tony nor Shane were pleased with this. Shane squeezed Tony’s hand and shook his head. He didn’t know where his mother was and he didn’t want to be alone, even if he were going to fall asleep soon.

     “Don’t worry,” Damien said, patting their entwined hands. “Daddy will fix it.” Then he turned to the nurse and gave her a charming smile. “Could you give them a few more minutes?”

     “Just a few more.”

     Everyone but Tony followed her, promising to come back just as soon as they could. Shane looked at Tony, but the man was glaring at the ground. Shane opened his mouth, wanting to say something to lighten the mood, and then groaned around the fucking tube stuck down his throat. Tony lifted his eyes when he heard the noise.

     “What’s wrong?” Shane looked annoyed as he pointed at the respirator. That, for some reason, brought a smile to the man’s lips. “They say it’ll be removed in the morning if you pass the night okay. You better pass the fucking night,” he ordered in a trembling voice.

     Shane didn’t bother to answer and they lapsed into silence. Tony looked so tired. Like he hadn’t slept in a year and hadn’t stepped outside in the same amount of time. He was entirely too pale. The nurse returned after a while to check on him, but she never asked Tony to leave. They both realized Damien must have gotten the staff to make an exception. They remained quiet until after she’d taken Shane’s vitals and left.

     When Tony pulled his eyes away from the door, he found Shane glaring at him. “What?”

     Shane pointed a finger up and down his body, pointed to the chair, and then pointed to the window. It took a moment before Tony realized what he was asking.

     “Did you think I would leave? Even for one second?” he asked with shock. Shane’s glare only intensified. “Fuck that, Shane! I’m not leaving until I know you’re not going to die on me! I discovered something in the last week and a half. I’m irrevocably in love with you! I can’t even stand the thought of setting one foot outside of this hospital unless I know you’ll eventually do the same. So don’t get mad at me for not wanting to go back to my fucking empty apartment!”

     “I don’t think yelling that for all the hospital to hear was necessary,” a gruff voice said from the doorway. Tony’s eyes darted over to find Damien’s dad and Shane’s mom standing there.

     “It’s the only way to get anything through his thick skull!” Tony snapped back.

     Shrod narrowed his eyes and strode into the room. He grabbed Tony by the back of his neck and dragged him out for a stern talking to; the brunet weakly protested while sending an apologetic and embarrassed look at Shane’s mom as he was pulled passed her.

     If Shane could, he would have been grinning like a sappy idiot while at the same time laughing his ass off.

    

* * *

 

 The following day Shane moved out of the ICU and was finally off life support. Shane was in a horrible mood throughout most of the day. It was expected. But the subject of his griping had Tony alternating between laughing and staring incredulously.

     “It’s not funny,” Shane rasped as he shoved the huge bear Damien had left away from him. “I’m way behind in my school work.”

     “You’ll have the time to make it up. Your professors have been notified and are perfectly willing to let you catch up.”

     Shane turned away from the grinning man leaning against the bedrail and glared at the ceiling. “All of them?”

     Tony’s grin faded a bit. “Well…”

     “Yeah. Bet the Tyrant said something along the lines of, ‘it’s his fault for getting into a situation like that. So it’s his fault if he can’t catch up.’ He said that, right? It’s my fault?”

     “This was not your fault!”

     Shane dropped the scowl and grabbed the hand clutching the rail. “Know that, man. This is that bastard’s fault. And I hope Jared takes care of him. I hope he fucking suffers. The doctors say I can’t run like I used to for months!”

     Tony squeezed his hand and he suddenly looked furious as he bent over until they were nose to nose. “At least you will be able to run again eventually. At least you’re still fucking breathing.”

     “You’re breaking my hand, Tony.”

     “Sorry.” Shane was suddenly smiling brightly, taking Tony by complete surprise. “What?”

     “You said you’re irrevocably in love with me.”

     Tony jerked back. “Um….” He looked away and scratched the back of his neck. Shane’s grin widened. He even laughed when Damien appeared and Tony looked almost more relieved at that moment than he had when Shane had come out of the coma.

     “Where’s Jared?”

     “Why?” the blond demanded. “Plan to stuff him with more cancer sticks?”

     “Calm down, dude. Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

     “Yes you do! Don’t lie!”

     “No. You were jumping to conclusions.”

     “I tasted it on his lips you freaking moron! It’s too late trying to cover for him!”

     “Denying it anyway. Where is he?”

     Damien frowned. “Are we attached at the hip now?”

     “If Jared had his way, you probably would be.” Tony laughed when Damien lost the irritated look and blushed. The blond looked pleased by this. Tony smiled down at his grinning boyfriend. “He hasn’t been too kind to Jared since the man’s been dragging his ass out of the hospital for a few hours each day.”

       “What exactly does that mean?” Shane asked Damien with narrowed eyes as the blond sat next to the bed. Damien scowled and lifted his nose into the air. His mouth remained firmly shut.

     “It means he’s not letting Jared touch him,” Tony replied, knowing exactly what Shane was after. “Nothing’s really happened between them since… that night.”

       “Damien,” the freshman whined.

       “As if I’d be in the mood to do anything with him while you’re stretched out like this. No way, cutie!”

     “Hmm. But I’m getting better now. No chance of heart failure and I’ll be released in a few days as long as nothing else happens.”

     “Thank God,” Tony murmured as he swept Shane’s hand into his own as he sat down opposite Damien.

     “Shane.” The freshman drew his eyes away from Tony to look at Damien in question. “Overheard Rose and your mother talking yesterday. She was talking about taking you back to Freemon. Are you… did you plan to leave us?”

      Shane felt the hand in his tense and mentally rolled his eyes. “No. I’m not going to be chased off. I love it here despite everything.”

     “But- but you were _stabbed_ ,” he ended with a strangled whisper, trying to snuggle the bear back next to Shane’s head.

     “I’m not going anywhere,” Shane replied firmly. “Why? Do you want me to leave?” Damien quickly shook his head. Shane turned to face Tony fully. “I’m not leaving.”

     “Even if you wanted to, I don’t think I could let you, brat.”

     Shane smiled brightly. “Besides. Mom already said it was up to me. She’s decided to stay here until I’m fully recovered.” He grabbed the teddy bear and threw it at the blond. “Your dad invited her to stay at your freaking humongous house that’s really a hotel.”

     “Really?” Damien gaped in astonishment. “I didn’t know that!”

     “Yeah. Since there’s only one guest room at the house. No one wants Mom to have to use the pull out couch. He said I could stay there too since my bed is so small.”

       Cough, “monk!” cough.

      Shane sent a flat look Tony’s way. “Anyway, Mom refused.”

     “Daddy won’t take no for an answer,” Damien said with certainty. Shane shrugged. He wasn’t really concerned with that right now. “I like your mom,” Damien announced then. “You’re a mini Daisy in boy form!”

     “Give me back my bear,” Shane lightly demanded.

     Tony hid a smile as he yanked the bear out of Damien’s arms and passed it to his boyfriend. Shane stared at its brown squished up face for a moment and then launched it at Damien’s face.

 

* * *

 

Two days later, Shane was allowed out of bed. It wasn’t encouraged, but he wasn’t forbidden from doing it either. And his IV had been hooked up to a movable pole so Shane took that as an invitation.

     “It’s too soon. I don’t think you should walk around yet,” Tony asserted. The brat was hell bent on getting out of bed.   
     “I agree,” said Daisy.

     “Oh great, a team up. Wonderful… I’m getting up! Can’t stand laying on my back all freaking day!”

     “Shane, just wait!” Daisy pleaded. “Let me go make sure the doctors say it’s okay.” and she was gone before he could point out they’d already said it was okay.

     “Geez,” he mumbled. “Tony, come help me. I’m only going to walk around the room.”

     Tony sighed as he pulled back the covers, knowing Shane would do it himself if Tony refused to help and the brat didn’t need to stretch too much. “Could you at least remember you’ve got a bunch of stitches in your sides?”

     “Man, it’s not like I’m going to do toe touches or anything. Just want to walk around,” Shane murmured moving his legs around and trying to hide the grimace of pain from Tony. Didn’t hide it well enough though and Tony dropped firm hands onto his thighs.

     “How bad do you hurt?”

     It was clear Tony wasn’t going to let him stand unless he answered the question truthfully. “Feels like fire. My sides. But that’s normal, so help me up.”

     “It’s not normal,” Tony murmured. He grabbed Shane’s arm and helped him to his feet. Immediately he wrapped the shorter boy in his arms; this being the first time since the stabbing that he’d been able to hold onto him. Shane grabbed onto the front of his shirt for the same reason and pressed his face against Tony’s shoulder. They stood there like that for long moments, silent and just soaking in the feel of each other. Neither noticed Daisy’s return or her silent exit seconds later when she saw their position.

     “Come live with me,” Tony whispered after a while.

     Shane pulled back a little and lifted his face to look in Tony’s earnest eyes. “What?”

     “When this is over. When you’re better. I want you to move in with me.”

     “But…” Shane’s eyes dropped to the hands clutching his boyfriend’s shirt. “I don’t know. Not sure that we should. Live together.”

     “Why?”

     “It’s too soon, isn’t it? And you’re only asking cause I was hurt.”

     “You weren’t simply hurt. You almost died.”

     “Still… that’s not a good reason to make a decision like this.”

     “Hell yes it is! This situation put a whole bunch of things into perspective… You saying you don’t want to live together? You don’t want to live with me?”

     The rough hurt swimming in Tony’s voice had Shane’s eyes snapping up. “That’s not what I’m saying. I told you that night that I’m… that I’m in love with you,” he whispered. “I just- It’s too soon, isn’t it?” he repeated. “I mean, you might hate living with me.”

     Tony smirked. “As long as you continue to put out…”

     Shane scowled. “Asshole! I’d punch you right now if it wouldn’t hurt me more!”

     Tony chuckled lowly and bent to press his nose against Shane’s neck. “You know I’m only messing…”

       “Stupid jerk,” he muttered.

       “Shane. Just give it a try. Come live with me, and if after a time you don’t like it, you can find your own place.”

     Shane’s fingers curled in tighter around the black cotton in his hands. “You… you won’t break up with me if I don’t like it?”

     “Course not, brat. You’re stuck with me,” he laughed and laid his mouth over Shane’s. “I’ll have to live with sneaking into wherever you’re staying.”

     Shane’s eyes closed and he relished in the kiss. Because for a moment there, when he’d been bleeding all over the dance floor in Damien’s club, Shane thought he’d never get to kiss Tony again.

    When they pulled away, Shane laughed. “Man… you really like climbing that tree, don’t you?”

    

* * *

 

 Damien whistled as he exited the elevator and strode down the hall, clutching a brown teddy bear in one hand and carrying a briefcase in the other. “Hey, Tiff! You look gorgeous today! New haircut?” he said, leaning over the secretary’s desk and batting his eyelashes at her.

     Her return smile was just as bright as she patted down the new chin length bob. “Yes, Mr. Shrod. Thank you… Glad to see you back. How’s your friend?”

     “Great!” he exclaimed with a happy little laugh. “Being stubborn. Trying to leave the hospital already. Driving everyone insane… He’s the cutest thing!”

     “We’re really relieved to hear that, Mr. Shrod,” Tiffany said, talking about the entire floor.

     “Thanks, hun. Give me any work I’ve missed out. I’m sure there are piles of it.”

     “Actually Mr. Newton took all your work. All I have here are today’s faxes and phone messages.”

     “Jared took it? You mean… he’s been doing my work?”

     Tiffany didn’t want to answer that. Afraid of his reaction. But she nodded truthfully anyway.

     “Uh…” he smiled softly and looked sort of dazed, which made Tiffany smile. “Okay then. Give me anything you have… Is Newton here?”

     She nodded slowly as she passed him phone messages and faxes, her eyes fixed on something over his shoulder. Damien didn’t notice this as he perused the messages.

     “Hold my calls for the next hour, please sweetie.”

     “Yes, Mr. Shrod.”

     “Thanks.” He flashed another smile before spinning around towards his office. He smacked right into Jared’s chest. “Dammit, Jared! Don’t stand there in the middle of the way like a freaking gorgeous statue! You trying to come off as creepy?”

     “Says the grown man clutching a teddy bear.”

     Damien’s chin rose in the air. “It’s cute and cuddly,” he replied firmly.

     “Just like you.”

     A broad grin spread across his face when Damien blushed and hurried around into his office. Jared sent a wink at Damien’s secretary before following the flustered man into his office. “So what’s up with the bear? Isn’t that the one you gave to Shane?”

       Damien quickly pulled himself under control and laughed as he placed the bear on the middle shelf of a tall bookcase near the window. “Yes. He kept throwing it at my head.”

     “Tony did warn you.”

     Damien crossed to his desk. “Suppose he did,” he chuckled as he sat down. “And it didn’t help that I compared him to his mother. That throw was surprisingly strong for someone heavily medicated.”

     Jared studied the bear for a moment, feeling Damien’s eyes on him. When he turned back, the other man was watching him with a pensive look. “You okay?” he asked as he strode over to sit a hip against the desk.

     “Yes.” Damien blew out a breath. “Just relieved, I guess. Shane’s going to be okay and he doesn’t seem to be letting this hold him back.”

     Jared frowned. Yeah, Shane seemed to be taking his situation well. Too well. “Shrod told me earlier he managed to get Shane’s mom to change her mind. About living at the mansion for a while. Said it’d give them both room and allow Tony the chance to stay near Shane if he wanted as well since he doesn’t like his apartment anymore.”

     “Seriously? Those were his arguments? She agreed to the Tony part? No way!”

     Jared pushed off the desk, twisted Damien’s seat around until their knees were touching, and then grabbed the shorter man’s tie to jerk him to his feet.

     “Hey! Stop being so brutish…”

     Jared smiled. “You have to remember that Tony and Ms. Williamson spent a lot of time together in that hospital room. There’s no way she didn’t pick up on Tony’s need for Shane. Nor could she have missed Shane’s need for Tony to be in the room when he was awake. Tony’s a good guy and she realized this.”

     “That’s good then… you can let go of my tie, Newton.”

     “No, princess,” Jared murmured, drawing the younger man closer. “Think I’ll hold on to it for a bit longer.”

     “I’m not adverse to you calling me a prince,” Damien said, eyes already dropped to Jared’s mouth, “but this princess shit is going to get you killed.”

     “It suits you.”

       “Once again. Kill. You. Very soon,” the blond murmured as lips pressed firmly against his.

     Jared only meant for the kiss to be short and sweet; something light to tide him over until later. But Damien tasted fantastic and he was so responsive to the kiss that Jared couldn’t seem to pull away when he thought he should. This could have been because his senses were completely ensnared by the taste of Damien; spearmint and chocolate. And it could have been because Damien’s fingers were digging into his hair and the sounds coming from the blond’s throat were entirely too captivating. Each gasp from Damien was full of wonder and need.

     Even as Jared realized it was probably bad to start something in the office, he couldn’t help but go on and slide his hands under the blond’s black business jacket. He wound his arms around the red dress shirt to pull the younger man tightly against him even as he backed Damien up against the desk. The blond mumbled something pleasing into his mouth and shimmied up until his arse was perched on the top of the desk. Jared moved forward until he was pressing comfortably in between Damien’s long legs.

     The kiss quickly escalated beyond control. Jared gripped Damien’s hair and yanked his head back in order to dive as deep as he could into Damien’s needy sensuous mouth, wondering how it would feel to have Damien’s cock sliding in and out of his mouth instead of a tongue. He was way passed ready to find out.

     “This is certainly not what I pay the both of you to do!” someone barked.

     “Go away!” the blond whined as he tried to follow Jared’s lips as they quickly pulled away from his own. Damien was so far gone, he hadn’t really realized what he said or to whom. Jared twisted around and blanched, seeing Shrod standing there, turned to the side in the doorway, averting his gaze. But he caught the pale splotches of rage on his boss’s face and their two Admins standing just beyond that, staring in with fascination. He vaguely wondered how much they had seen before returning his gaze to Shrod.

     Shrod stepped in once he saw his son and Jared had separated and promptly slammed the door shut with such a force that both men were sure the entire high-rise building felt the vibrations.

     “Now,” Shrod began in a deadly quiet voice watching the two men hurriedly straightening their suits. Damien pouting while Jared looked slightly fearful and embarrassed. “Should I ever catch you two doing something like that again, here, during business hours, there will be hell to pay. Do I make myself clear?” he went on in that same cold soft voice. Damien just went on pouting and Jared quickly nodded. Shrod scowled as he moved further in to sit behind the desk. “Sit down, both of you.”

     “Dad, you’re sitting in my cha-”

     Jared jerked him down into the chair beside him. Damien narrowed his blue eyes at the man beside him and then unwillingly they dropped down to stare at those sexy sinful lips that moments ago had him having an out of body experience of the best kind. Jared caught him staring and smirked.

     Shrod’s eyes narrowed when he realized he was being ignored. He slammed a heavy fist on the desk, quickly drawing their attentions back to him. Shrod leaned forward and splayed his hands out over the desk. “Where are you in regards to Hudson?” he hissed.

     “Almost ready, sir.”

     “Do you think he’s suspecting something?”

     “I’ve been told he’s strutting around campus,” Jared growled. “He doesn’t expect retaliation. He’s actually very stupid and thinks Damien’s threats were only bluffs.”

     “How do you know this?”

     “Caleb bugged his cell phone,” his son answered with a prideful tone.

     “I went with him when Hudson was out at practice. I like guns. Caleb likes technology. We can take over the world. The man knows his stuff,” Jared said seriously. Damien snorted.

     “Caleb’s at school for electrical engineering,” Shrod murmured to himself and then nodded, pleased.

     “Among other things.”

     Shrod nodded again. “You should know those detectives went to visit Shane today again. To see if he remembers anything.”

     “Did he say anything?” Damien asked. “We never told him he had to keep it to himself and he has every right to give Hudson over to the police.”

     Shrod shook his head. “That boy is angry. He thinks anyone stupid enough to want to take a life just for something as insignificant as a sports position should deal with having to face Jared’s lethal skills.” The older man grinned. “Those were his exact words to me after the detectives left. He told them- and with the biggest puppy dog eyes you’ve ever seen- that he didn’t make enemies and had no idea why someone would want to hurt him… other than the fact that he’s gay. To be honest, if I hadn’t already known the entire story, I would have fallen for it too. Shane’s a very convincing liar. He left the authorities with no reason to believe he was lying.”

     Damien smiled happily. “I do so love cutie!” beside him, Jared shifted imperceptibly and the blond’s smile grew. “Can you leave now, Daddy? I want to go back to having Jared ravish my mouth.”

     Jared slumped forward and covered his face with his hands. Why couldn’t Damien shut up? Yes, that’s smart. Returning Shrod’s attention back to that. Right. Smart move. Not!

     “I’m having dinner with Shane’s mother tonight,” Shrod answered unexpectedly, causing Damien’s mouth to drop open. Jared turned back to his boss and couldn’t help the devious smirk that quirked his mouth.

     “Some would call that an uncouth move at such a time, old man.”

     “It’s dinner between acquaintances,” Shrod ground out. “Lauretta and Jerry will be there also. Along with Rich and Rose. Besides, Shane’s well on his way to a perfect recovery. He’ll be leaving the hospital tomorrow.”

     Damien narrowed his eyes. “What’s the reason for this dinner?”

     “Does there need to be a reason?”

     “There’s always a hidden agenda with you, Daddy.”

     Shrod narrowed his eyes as he stood. “Get back to work! Work, Goddammit! Not whatever it is that you were doing before!” he shouted as he left the office, leaving the door wide open.

     “It’s called making out, Daddy! What century are you from?” Damien shouted back.

     Jared hurried to his own office, knowing should he stay, he wouldn’t be able to control himself. “We’ll head straight to the hospital after work.”

     “I want a kiss,” Damien murmured, standing in the doorway between their offices.

     “Damien…”

     “You opened the fucking floodgate! I want another! NOW!”

     “I will not cater to your every whim.”

     “Don’t go prickish on me now, bastard!”

     “Stop being so childish and maybe I wouldn’t have to.”

     Jared watched the fury fill Damien’s eyes and was fully prepared for what happened next. Having the connected door slammed closed. Jared smirked as he opened his laptop, already thinking of ways to calm his temperamental partner once work was finished.


	17. Episode Seventeen

Shane was currently lounging in a room that was incredible ritzy and huge. It’d have to be as it housed the Shrod’s gigantic indoor pool. What was the point of that? Who needed a pool this big in their own home?

     “That look on your face right now isn’t very attractive.”

     Shane scowled. Tony was staring at him from the edge of the pool, keeping himself up by his arms. His hair was dripping wet, flattened and it looked way too sexy dripping past his ears like that. “Shut up.”

     Tony grinned. “Stop complaining already.”

     “Didn’t say anything, man!”

     “Didn’t have to. It’s plain as day on your face.”

     “Go back to swimming, asshole!”

     Tony chuckled and twisted around to return to his laps. Shane’s scowl slipped a bit. It was true that staying here made things more convenient. Tony didn’t have to go to school everyday in order to do his swimming unless he had a practice. And Shane had to admit to being pleased when he found an exercise room in the mansion. Finding that room nearly had him crying prayers of thanks to God since it allowed him to use the treadmill whenever he wanted. He could only walk on it, but still… he was never uncomfortable in that room.

     “Shane? Honey, I’ve brought your medication.”

     Shane sighed and watched his mother approach with a glass of water, his pill bottle, and a wide smile. “You didn’t have to bring it, Mom.”

     “You would forget as usual. And you’re far too distracted watching your boyfriend tread through the water to even think about moving. Not that I blame you, honey…” Daisy smiled and watched Tony cut through the water like a fish. “Wonderful view.”

     “Mom!” Shane flushed and snatched the pill bottle from her. “Geez…”

     “Is he wearing a Speedo?”

     “Mom!”

     Daisy shrugged and her smile grew as she looked at her son, a dimple appearing beside her mouth. “Only curious.”

     “No! Regular swim trunks. Stop trying to embarrass me,” he grumbled.

     Daisy smiled and leaned down to kiss his head. “But it’s so easy.”

     Shane popped two pills, quickly washing it down with water as he watched his mother leave. Shane rolled his eyes against the thought of everyone in the world trying to make it a life mission to embarrass him at every turn.

     He leaned back on the chaise lounge and picked up his American History book to go on with his reading, studiously trying to stop from peeking over the top of his book every other second to catch glimpses of the very fit wet body of his boyfriend. God, the rippling muscles! Shane swallowed thickly and once again tried to pay attention to the words printed on the page. Thanks to Connor, he had all the notes from the days he’d missed, though that probably wouldn’t do him any good. The Tyrant would most likely go out of his way to make sure Shane never caught up. Still, Shane was grateful to Connor.    

     By the time Tony was finished with his laps and climbed out of the water, Shane was sporting a painful hard on. “When can we go back to having sex?” he asked, and was mortified when it came out like a whine.

     Tony, who had a towel over his hair and face, slowly pulled it off to reveal a white-toothed grin. Shane pretended not to notice it, though that was hard as that particular smile was heart stopping.

     “Not till your stitches are gone, brat.”

     “Goddammit,” Shane whispered petulantly. Suddenly he was being covered in drops of chlorinated water when Tony came to stand right over him. “Dude, you’re getting me all wet. Back off!”

     “Tony, you’re not teasing Shane in his condition are you? That’s cruel.”

     The two looked over to find a man walking towards them along the edge of the pool. They hadn’t recognized his voice so they were automatically wary. The stranger was dressed in old baggy jeans that were frayed at the ends and brushing under the heels of scruffy black converse shoes as he lazily walked. His torso was covered in a black wife beater with an old dark plaid shirt tied around the waist. A black baseball cap was pulled low over the guy’s eyes concealing his face from view.

     Tony moved to shield Shane. “Do we know you?”

     Shane shifted over so that he wasn’t looking directly at Tony’s ass to get a clear view of the stranger. The guy tipped his chin up so they could see his face. Cool gray eyes met theirs with a smirk.

     “Think so.”

     “Jared!” Shane grinned, then looked confused. “What happened to your accent, man? You sound American.”

     “That’s the fucking point.”

     “And you look like a punk,” said Tony.

     “Also the point.”

     Shane perked up and dropped the stupid history text onto the table beside him. “Are you undercover?”

     Jared didn’t answer right away. When he got to them, he grabbed one of the patio chairs and pulled it up next to the lounge Shane was on. He sat down and looked at Tony with a blank face as he reached behind under his shirt. Shane’s eyes widened when the man withdrew a pistol equipped with a silencer and set it on the table beside Shane’s glass of water.

     Tony stared at the gun good and hard for a minute before turning back to Jared- who had yet to take his eyes from him- and nodded. “Let me get changed.”

       And then he was gone before Shane could say anything to his boyfriend.

     “Don’t let him get hurt,” Shane whispered, staring at the gun. “Don’t let him…”

     Jared’s blank mask fell away and he scooted his chair closer until his shins were pressed against the side of Shane’s reclining chair. “I swear only the targets will get hurt. They don’t know we’re coming. They won’t even see us. Alright, Shane?”

     “You’re a pro, aren’t you?”

     Jared nodded.

     “He’s not.”

     “You understand why he’s doing this, don’t you? It’s human nature to want to protect and to seek revenge. It doesn’t happen often because those who seek it never have the means. He does. He’s a man and he’s going to protect you. And these fuckers deserve what’s coming. Believe me. You aren’t the first person they’ve hurt.”

     “Understand all that,” Shane said slowly, thinking it odd to hear Jared without the British accent. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it much.”

       Jared smiled. “You’ll keep us in line, Shane.”

       Shane was startled by that statement. Jared said it as a matter of fact. “I don’t see how I could- this is all happening because of me.”

       “There’s something about you that makes us all stop and listen. Even me. I could have used a friend like you in the past… but that’s over and done with I guess. And it’s not your fucking fault! You didn’t do anything. If it was your fault I would say, wouldn’t I?”

     “Yeah, guess you would. So,” Shane perked up and grinned. “Does that mean you plan to stick around forever?”

     Jared laughed as he sat back and twisted the ball cap backwards. “Forever’s a long time. But yes, I like you guys enough to consider being a permanent resident in your close nit psychotic circle. You lot will definitely keep life interesting.”

     “I’m not psychotic and I’m still new.”

   “We can be new together.”

     “That… sounds kind of… gay, man.” Shane snorted and then giggled.

     Jared raised a brow. Shane’s words were coming out slow and slightly slurred. And that giggle had been odd. Leaning forward, he took a good look at Shane’s eyes and noticed his pupils were pin pointed, leaving a whole lotta dark blue blinking brightly at him. “Ah. Recently taken another dose of pain meds?”

     “Yeah…” Shane replied slowly with a lazy smile. “Hey, man… you know what you should do… after this whole killing people thing?” Shane closed his eyes, “damn, that sounds horrible and yet morbidly… exciting.”

       Jared shook his head in amusement. Shane was usually the absolute shit, but when doped up he was twice as fun and three times as cute. “What should I do?”

     “Go fuck Damien, dude. Then at least some of us will be getting some.”

     “You’re cute, kid. Really.”

     “Don’t call me a fucking kid! And I’m being serious….”

     “Don’t worry about Damien. He’ll be taken care of. You and Tony usually go at it a lot?”

       Shane’s goofy grin was answer enough. He opened his eyes and frowned. “Damien says you’ve been… MIA the last few days. You’re making him worry… about you two. That’s not nice.”

     Jared couldn’t help but smile. “I know. But it couldn’t be helped.”

     “You do… um, care about him, right? You’re not just stringing him along, are you?”

     “That’s a stupid question since you already know the answer.”

     “Guess so. You know… you looking like that makes it easier to talk to you. Guess cause you look younger…”

     Jared frowned. “Do I usually make you nervous?”

     “You sound like that bothers you,” Shane murmured. “You, the high and mighty Shrod executive caring what a _kid_ thinks of him…”

     “Is that how you really see me?”

     “First time, yeah. But… ya gotta know that’s how you came off, dude. You called me a boy toy with that snotty tone.”

     “Sorry bout that,” Jared murmured. “And yes, it does bother me.”

     “It’s not that you make me nervous. You’re kinda… mysterious and now I think you’re cool cause of that. But sometimes… its hard to approach mysteries especially when you know part of that mystery is death. And you’re way older than me. All of you…”

     “Listen,” Jared leaned forward and waited until Shane was focused on him. “You can come to me about anything, all right. I want you to be able to talk to me like you talk to the others.”

     “Will you teach me how to shoot a gun?”

     The question threw him. “Err… I don’t think Tony would like that.”

     “He’s not my fucking keeper.” Shane huffed in annoyance when Jared didn’t reply either way. He decided to change the subject. “If Damien saw you right now he’d go insane,” leaning forward, Shane pressed a finger against Jared’s uncovered shoulder. “He’d try to eat you. You look really hot like this… um, don’t tell Tony I said that,” he whispered.

     Jared was stopped from replying when he heard footsteps approaching. Quickly snatching the pistol off the table, he stowed it back in the waistband of his jeans and turned to the door. Both Tony and Shrod walked in. Tony’s eyes on the floor as he walked, while Shrod was pointing a finger at him and talking intensely. Tony nodded along as he listened intently to whatever it was Shrod was saying.

     “Damien told me Mr. Shrod made him promise never to shoot someone for revenge,” Shane whispered to him.

     “Damien doesn’t plan to use a gun. There’s always loop holes.”

     “Hurry up and go get him then! He’s already called me… five times in the last two hours complaining about your stupid gorgeous MIA ass!”

     Jared smiled and stood as Shrod and Tony stopped beside them. “Sure thing, Shane.”

     Shane closed his eyes again, “probably throwing a tantrum right now… cursing you… ripping his apartment to shreds…”

     “You remember everything I’ve told you, Tony.”

     “Yes sir,” Tony replied to Shrod.

     “Good. Jared, let me talk to you while Tony takes Shane back to his room.”

     Shane grabbed Jared’s hand before he walked out of reach. “Remember,” he said lowly, squeezing that hand. “You promised.”

       Jared nodded and then smirked as he shoved his hand against the side of Tony’s head. “This asshole won’t get hurt.”

 

* * *

 

Damien gripped the remote control with a white knuckled fist and contemplated throwing it at his lovely huge flat screen television. It was nearing Saturday evening. He was off. Jared was surely off and yet he hadn’t seen the bastard in two fucking days! Hadn’t heard from him either. Damien was just about fed up. No, scratch that. He was fed up!

     Just as he was about to throw the TV remote, anticipating the pleasant crash against the screen, the front door opened. Jared, Caleb, and Tony walked in and then stopped seeing Damien standing there with his arm raised, remote in his hand and prepared to be jettisoned across the room.

     “Ah, man,” Caleb shook his head and hurried across the room to grab the remote and save the TV. “I know you weren’t about to fuck up that beautiful screen!”

     “If I did it would have been HIS FAULT!” Damien shouted, stabbing the air in Jared’s direction. The hand then dropped limply to his side. “Newton? What… in Rupert Everett’s name are you wearing?”

     Jared was too busy staring at Damien in his ripped jeans to reply the obvious answer. Tony and Caleb shared a look before snorting and moving away into the kitchen in order to raid the freezer for the stash of rum Damien always kept on hand. Jared pulled his eyes away from the tempting rips and darkened eyes of the man in front of him to glare at the two in the kitchen.

     “Not too much or I’ll leave you here.”

     “Chill out, man.” Caleb received a chilling death glare instead. The black man raised his hands in surrender. “Just one then.”

     “One.” Jared turned back to the man in front of him. Damien was holding his breath again and staring at his shoulders. And he did, as Shane had warned, look as if he wanted to eat him. Smirking, Jared bent down until their noses touched. “Breathe, princess.”

      “Jared, I would very much like you to fuck me,” he whispered. “Right now like I’ve never let anyone fuck me before. Only you.” Damien cocked his head to the side and smiled brightly. “Okay?”

     Jared grabbed Damien’s arm when the two men in the kitchen started laughing. He dragged him into the master bedroom and pushed him away. “Go change, put on dark clothes, and cover your hair. We’re going out,” he ordered hoarsely, leaning against the door and looking anywhere but at Damien.

     The blond smirked evilly and pressed against Jared. “But I want you,” he breathed as he leaned forward to run his tongue along one quivering shoulder.

     “Fuck!”

     “That’s a good response,” Damien murmured as he went on to trail hot open mouthed kisses over ever every inch of Jared’s shoulder while his hand trailed down to the well endowed bulge beneath Jared’s jeans. “I want this too. Very much.”

     Jared grabbed the hand and reluctantly pulled it away. “We can’t play right now. I’ve got-”

     Damien gasped happily. “Play? You like role playing? Sweetness!” He made another happy sound and pressed his lips against Jared’s. “Can I be your deranged demon slave? I’ll scream bastard and you can moan princess.”

     Jared jerked his head back against the door, eyes wide and half delirious with arousal. Fuck, it was like all his fantasies rolling into one moment and all he had to do was take what he wanted. Unfortunately now wasn’t a good time. “Can’t do that now!” Jared reached behind, searching for the doorknob. “I have to stay tense until the mission is over.”

     “But Jared…” Damien stepped back and gave him a very thorough look over. “You have the fucking body of a god. I’m not holding back any more!” The blond pounced just as Jared managed to get the door opened. He fell back and then quickly shut the door in Damien’s face.

     “Get changed!” he shouted hoarsely, holding onto the doorknob for dear life, keeping it a barrier between them.

     Snorts of amusement came from the kitchen. He looked over his shoulder and glared. “Fuck you both to hell and back!”

     “Not our fault you went in there,” Tony pointed out. “Should have known better after the fuck me now shit.”

     “Whatever.” Jared sprinted to the front door. Just as he slammed the front door closed, Damien wrenched his bedroom door open.

     “He’s gone,” he whined.

     “Go get dressed, Damien. He’ll be back… and for fuck’s sake, make sure it’s nothing flashy.”

     Damien stepped out with a scowl and placed fists on slim hips. “Excuse me? It’s not like this is the first time we’ve done anything bad, Tony. I know what to fucking wear!”

       “Yeah, but this is the first time we’ve gone out with Jared,” said Caleb with a knowing smirk.

       Damien’s nose shot into the air with a sniff. He spun around and walked right into the doorframe. “Fuck,” he whined as he limped into the bedroom and slammed the door shut.

     Caleb shook his head with sympathy. “Dude, he was hard too.” Both he and Tony winced. “That sucks.”

     Jared returned after a few minutes carrying a backpack. He set it on the table and sat down, facing Caleb and Tony. “Most hang out in groups. According to the tap on Hudson’s phone, the Sevens’ aren’t all meeting together tonight so that gives us an advantage.”

     He said all this as he pulled out four Glocks and four silencers. He stared at the guns before looking at his friends. Caleb and Tony took the initiative and grabbed the guns, two each as well as the silencers. Jared nodded and pulled out two more guns. Another for him and one for Damien- for emergencies. No way was he going to let his crazy boy go anywhere only armed with a knife or whatever the hell he was going to use.

     “However, Hudson’s going over to one of his goon’s houses to party later. We’ll hit that place first before he gets there. I want him to find the bodies. We need him scared. We need him to run and hide.”

     “Why?”

     “We’re going to lay in wait for him.”

     “How many are we going after?” Tony asked as he twisted the silencer on.

     “Ten, including Hudson.”

     “Hey man, it’s Saturday. Some of these fools are gonna be at the club!”

     “Yeah, and we’re going to smoke them out. Are you familiar with Sharks?”

     “Club in east side.”

     “That’s where the other targets are supposed to be. Waiting on a pick up for Hudson. Been there before?”

     “Yeah. I know the layout.”

     “Good. And in case they aren’t all there when we arrive, I’ve got this to track them.” Jared pulled out a small laptop just as Damien came out of his room.

     Tony nudged Jared. “Dude, put your shirt on now.”

       Jared did so without question. Behind him Damien made a sound of disapproval. “Sit down and focus- not on me.” Jared glanced at the blond, who was now appropriately attired in dark jeans, a black long sleeved t-shirt and a dark blue beanie covering his blond hair. He passed Damien the gun. “You’re not going anywhere without that so don’t even try,” he quickly said when Damien would have pushed it away. “It’s only for precaution.”

       Damien gaped at him. “I only just noticed… what happened to your accent?”

       “Fo-cus, princess,” Jared replied slowly. He then went on to go over with Damien what he’d already explained to Caleb and Tony while the other two studied their pistols. After that they got up and prepared to leave. Jared then told them how they would be traveling throughout the night. Damien had a particularly bad reaction to their first mode of transportation.

     “YOU WANT TO WHAT?!” the blond shrieked in outrage and gaped at his friends in something akin to horror.

     “Take the bus.”

     Damien crossed his arms. “No way, Newton. I’m not setting one foot on a bus! Just… eww!”

     “Then don’t come. It’s that simple.” With that said, Jared turned and headed out of the apartment, hefting the backpack up over his shoulder.

     Damien sneered and crossed his arms, preparing to stay there and brood until he became so mad he’d throw a tantrum. Tony and Caleb shared a look before they both went over and slung an arm around their reluctant friend’s neck.

     “C’mon, Damien. It won’t be so bad,” Tony said while he and Caleb started dragging him out of the apartment.

     “But- but,” he spluttered. “I’m too handsome to be on a bus—too rich too! Hey! Unhand me!”

    

* * *

 

      “Love neighborhoods like this,” Jared murmured as they hopped off the bus, watching Damien with amusement as the blond hurriedly brushed invisible filth off his clothes.

     “You love the ghetto?” asked Caleb with an incredulous look.

     Jared nodded as he tugged the baseball cap low over his eyes. “No cameras on every bloody light. People always looking the other way. Gunshots always heard and not always called in right away, as it’s a regular occurrence. Perfect.”

    “You’re fucked up, man,” Caleb murmured.

     Damien smiled. “He is, isn’t he?”

     Caleb’s brows rose and he looked at Tony. He then pointed between Jared and Damien and mouthed, “big mistake.”

     “There’s a black four door across the street up ahead,” Jared murmured after a few minutes of walking through the neighborhood. “That’s where we go after the first job. Got it?”

     There was a murmur of agreement. Then Caleb hissed, “goddamn, Dame. Stop looking so happy. Wipe that fucking smile off your face!”

       Jared rounded on him. “You calm the fuck down. And you,” he turned to Damien, “wipe the smile off your face.”

     “What? Are we all supposed to look like we’re up to something? It’s a nice night. I’m enjoying the walk.”

     Tony studied his three friends and shook his head. Nerves were running high. He suspected this was new for Jared. Sure the man was usually very cool when doing jobs, but he had three newbies with him this time and that was understandably making Jared uneasy. “You guys catch the football game last night?”

     “Dude, that was… fucked up,” Caleb joined in. “We got creamed.”

     “You did get creamed,” Tony replied with a smug smirk.

     “Fuck you, man. I had money riding on that game.”

     Damien laughed. “You were the idiot to bet on them. They’ve sucked all season long. What made you think yesterday’s game was gonna be any better? How many turnovers, Tony? Can’t remember there were so many…”

     “So many I started cheering for them.” The brunet ducked as Caleb sent a punch his way.    

     “Alright, Alright…” Caleb murmured.

     It went on like that until they arrived at the first destination. Jared was actually surprised and impressed with Tony for calming everyone down, and should anyone have caught sight of them walking down the sidewalk, they looked less suspicious by arguing about some football game. But now they were here and it was time to work.

     “You ready?” Jared asked lowly. They stood next to an old nearly rundown two-story house beside a window Jared had jimmied open. Loud music poured out from within the house and there were voices floating down from the top floor. The others nodded at his question. “Right. There’s three inside. Should be easy… they have weapons but probably not directly on them.”

     “Got it,” Tony replied firmly.

     Jared pulled out his pistol. Tony and Caleb followed his actions while Damien stood there grinning sadistically. He stared at the three before him. Suddenly he wasn’t sure about this. Lifting his hand, Jared rubbed the butt of his gun against his forehead and dropped his eyes to the ground. “This is a mistake. Shouldn’t have brought you. Don’t know what I was thinking. It’s not right, bringing you three in on this…”

     Damien turned and raised an eyebrow at his friends, who were suddenly looking furious. The three long time friends shared a silent conversation before Caleb turned to Jared. “You stay out here, man. Continue to doubt. We’ll be back.”

       Caleb, taking up the front, entered through the window, closely followed by Damien and then Tony. All this without any hesitation, without any noise. Jared realized they were used to breaking and entering. And the way they’d entered… with Caleb going first, Damien second, and then Tony last… that was practiced as well. They had a structured way to things. Suddenly Jared didn’t feel quite so bad about bringing them. The man cursed himself when he realized he’d been standing there thinking, and hurriedly followed after them. He’d promised to keep them safe and he couldn’t really do that standing outside trying to get over his shock at their actions.

     Sneaking in, Jared stealthily navigated the house only to stop short and stare in shock at what he saw in the living room. Damien was standing over a heavy set man; his blue eyes wild with fury and glee as he watched the man’s blood drain from the clean cut across his neck. Damien stood there and watched the life fade from the target’s eyes with his wicked looking knife hanging at his side, dripping blood onto the floor. Looking at the blond, Jared noticed not one drop of blood seemed to be on him. Damien must have snuck up behind and done it.

     An echoed shout from upstairs next drew his attention. Jared twisted around and made his way upstairs. Tony and Caleb met him at the top.

     “Don’t want to linger, right?” Tony asked flatly. “Let’s go.”

     Jared told them to go. He had to make sure the three targets were dead. There could be no survivors. Stepping into the first room, he vaguely noticed it had been turned into a second living room. Two bodies were sprawled on the floor. Both shot in the head. Clean kills. What the bloody fuck was going on?

     Once outside of the house, the four silently walked two blocks before ducking into an alley near the four door black Honda to prepare for the next target. He looked at them. “What the hell was that?”

     “What?” Caleb asked.

     “THAT! That, what you just did without any hesitation. What the fuck was that?”

     “You were thinking we would chicken out. You were getting soft, man! We came with you to take care of business and that’s what we did!”

     “Did you see what he did?” Jared demanded, pointing to Damien.

     Tony shrugged. “He fucking likes stabbing people, dude. You know this already.”

     “I do,” Damien chirped with a childlike grin that just seemed so out of place in the dirty alley. “I do like pointy things and sticking those pointy things into people who piss me the fuck off.”

     “Fine. Let’s go.” Jared took two steps, but then spun around to glare at Caleb. “Don’t fucking call me soft!”

     “That’s how you were acting.”

     “Excuse me if I feel guilty for making you three murderers,” he hissed.

     “Don’t think of it like that,” Damien said. “Think of it as a necessary fatal intervention. Whatever the case I’m not losing any beauty sleep over this. They almost killed cutie so they had it coming.”

     “I may feel bad about it,” Tony said when Jared looked at him, “but I doubt I’ll have nightmares about this. My nightmares are currently filled with Shane bleeding all over the floor.”

     “Same here. Now can we please go and finish the rest of these mother fuckers?” Caleb asked impatiently.

 

* * *

                                                         

Jared parked six blocks away from the club in a darkened deserted church parking lot. The four sat in silence as Jared checked his laptop. He breathed a sigh of relief. “They’re all in there. You know what to do? You’re okay with this? We could do it another way…”

     “You’re doing most of the work, man. I got this,” Caleb said. “I’m only starting a fire. I know where the cameras are. I remember the schematics. No one’s going to see shit but fire. I’m fine on my own. You three would stick out like pale white asses.”

       Jared nodded and got out. Closely followed by Tony and Damien. As soon as Jared grabbed his bag from the trunk, Caleb drove off to the club.

       “He’s good by himself,” Tony assured Jared.

       Jared nodded and led the two around the church. Tony pushed him aside when it was time to break in and surprised Jared by getting them inside in under a minute. Damien looked at his surprised face and quietly laughed.

     “Thought you had files on us.”

     Soon they were standing at the top of the bell tower, looking over the city. Jared sat down with his legs spread in a v, sitting his bag beside him. “Tony, give me a fag?” he ordered as he twisted his ball cap around until it was sitting backwards.

       “Here,” Tony shoved Damien over to him. “But I didn’t think you’d want to fuck until this was over.”

     “Cigarette, arsehole,” Jared turned at glared at the grinning brunet. “A fag is a cigarette.” By the look Tony was giving him, Jared realized the man had known that. He scowled. “Just give me one—Damien, let me do things the way I’ve always done them. This is what I do. You can kick my arse for smoking later.”

     “Oh, I will,” the blond hissed before focusing the anger on his best friend. Preparing to pounce.

     Jared ignored him, accepted the lit cigarette from Tony, ignored the scuffle from Tony and Damien, and started to unload the bag. Removing the pieces of his sniper rifle and putting it together.

     “Do _not_ leave any DNA lying around. That means no blood,” Jared mumbled as he attached his scope and went about adjusting it. The two broke apart.

     “What about your DNA,” Damien questioned, watching Jared attach the small stand before scooting back to lie on his stomach and aiming. “You’re sucking on that disgusting thing.”

     “I’m not going to flick it off somewhere,” Jared mumbled around the cigarette, placing one eye against the scope. Jared liked the fact the bell tower layout allowed him to do this laying down. He was always more comfortable lying down instead of standing up. “Tell him I’m ready.”

        As Tony went on to text Caleb, Damien watched Jared in fascination. Wondering how this was going to work out. He trusted Jared. Knew the man wouldn’t go through with this plan if he hadn’t done something like this before and wasn’t sure of the outcome. But it was still strange standing there watching Jared laying there, completely at ease with a sniper rifle at his eye. He was starting to become insanely curious about Jared’s past.

     “He’s doing it now,” Tony replied.

     Jared’s body visibly tensed as he took a long deep drag. Several minutes passed, all of which were spent with Tony watching out over the city and Damien seeing nothing but Jared. And then Jared pulled the trigger. Again and again, in rapid succession after a quick reload with each shot. “Bloody fools flocked out in a group.”

     “You have a photographic memory?” Tony whispered.

     “Yes,” Jared answered before pulling the trigger again. “Oh, that was nice… C’mon, look at me—brilliant,” another shot.

     Jared pulled his eye from the scope and sat up. He quickly began to dismantle the rifle. Without having to be asked, Tony and Damien went around the bell tower picking up the empty shell casings. Soon the bell tower was empty and the three of them were putting as much space between them, the church, and the club as possible.

     “We need to hurry,” Jared murmured as the black Honda came down the street for them. “That hit will surely have the police here faster. And Hudson will be at his mate’s house soon.”

     “Two more, right?”

     “Yes. The next one should be easy. And then it’s on to Hudson.”

     They hopped into the car and Jared told Caleb who the next target was. “You don’t need to tell me where he is. I know. Fucking junkie… if he’s not fucking with the high school kids, then he’s always in the same place. Let me do it. This fucker touched my brother.”

    

* * *

 

Caleb walked alone along the sidewalk bordering a darkened park. Head down and hands thrust deeply into his pockets. He purposely kept his thoughts blank as he approached the old park only used now by junkies and prostitutes. The only downside about this was the fact the park was by no means empty late on a Saturday night. In fact it was thirty minutes into Sunday, which meant the junkies and prostitutes would be out in droves. However, most of these people were doped up on heroin and LSD, and cops never really came out here. They should; but they never did. All Caleb needed to worry about was doing this without being seen.

     Luck was on his side, it seemed. He spotted Tabs near the broken down jungle gym. The white prick had just scored and was crossing the lawn towards the bathroom, probably to do his drugs in private so he wouldn’t have to share. Caleb moved out from behind his tree and followed closely behind, looking around to see if anyone noticed his movement. No one was paying attention.

     “You Tabs, man?” he asked as soon as he entered the nasty ass public bathroom to gain the guy’s attention. Tabs quickly pushed the small packet of dope back into his pocket.

     “What’s it to you?” he sneered, showing off chipped and stained teeth.

     “You the guy that broke that high school kid’s hand a week back?”

     Tabs looked off to the side to think about it. Caleb slowly reached behind him to the pistol tucked into the waistband of his jeans.

     “Hey man, don’t think too hard. It was you,” Caleb accused. “That kid’s my brother, asshole.”

       Tab snorted. “That little shit… what a fucking pussy.”

       “Pussy, huh? He told you no even after you broke his hand.” Caleb drew his gun and aimed it between the bastard’s eyes. Tabs blinked at the gun stupidly. By the time he realized what was happening, it was too late to grab his own weapon. Caleb pulled the trigger, not even flinching when the gun went off in his hand.

     The moment the body hit the floor, Tabs’ cell went off. Caleb didn’t know why, but he felt he should see who it was. Pulling down the long sleeves of his shirt to cover his hands, he used the fabric to rifle through Tabs’ jacket and found the cell, grinning when he saw it was Hudson calling.

     Caleb pressed the talk button and before Hudson could say anything, he lifted the phone to his mouth and said softly, “only one Seven left. You’re next you piece of shit.” He hung up and tossed the cell phone onto the crumpled body in front of him. And then he got the hell out of there before someone else came in to shoot up.

  

* * *

 

 Shane couldn’t help being afraid. Couldn’t help feeling useless. The worst part was feeling eager for the outcome. Once again he was shocked by what he was feeling at the time when he assumed his boyfriend was out… killing people. Shane moved away from the window and lay on his stomach, pillowing his face against his arms. And why hadn’t Tony called yet? Had something gone horribly wrong?

     He was incredibly grateful to be drawn from his thoughts by the arrival of Mai and Sheera, but then soon he was faced with two glaring females when he told them exactly why he was looking out of sorts and Tony was nowhere in sight.

     “Those assholes went without us?” Sheera shrieked.

     “You don’t even know what they’re doing. Probably don’t want to know.”

     “Please Shane,” Mai said softly, “we’ve known what was going to happen the moment you were hurt. We knew boundaries were going to be crossed with this, especially with Jared in the mix. Our boys… our boys toyed with the edge, you know. All the time. And the only reason why they never crossed those boundaries was because it would have caused complications. It won’t this time. They have a proper teacher now.”

     Shane pulled his face away from his arms to look at her, incredibly shocked by her words. “How can you sound so calm about it, Mai? You especially-”

     “I come from a family steeped in violence and illegal activity.”

     Shane snorted. He didn’t believe that for an instant. “No way.”

     Sheera grinned as Mai stood and turned her back on him. Sheera grabbed the back of Mai’s shirt and lifted it, displaying a tattoo on her back.

     “No fucking way!” Shane shouted in shock, jumping up onto his knees and bending forward to trace every detail of the tattoo. “You’re yakuza? No fucking way!”

     “Yes,” Mai replied as she pulled away from Sheera to get her to release her shirt and then turned to face Shane, smiling at his shocked expression. “Born into it. My grandfather is the _Kumicho_ of the Toyama family.”

     “But- You’re so nice… and I thought only the men get tattoos.”

     “I’m unorthodox,” she said with a small smile and shrug.

     “Does Caleb know?”

     Sheera snorted. “They fuck, don’t they? Course he knows. In fact,” Sheera shot her friend a glare, “Caleb knew before any of us did.”

       Mai smiled shyly. “After he found out about my yakuza heritage, my crush wasn’t so unrequited. Caleb used to think I was too sweet. We were best of friends, but as in love interests, Caleb didn’t have the time for me.”

     “Until he found out you weren’t so sweet.”

     Shane groaned and dropped his face back onto his arms. The girls looked at him in worry. “You okay, Shane? Do you need your medication?”

     “I need to know Tony’s okay,” he mumbled. “Jared promised, but…”

     “Okay, look,” Sheera said as she stretched out beside him and began to run her fingers through his hair, “we’re worried about them too. But not so much because our boys are used to doing things they shouldn’t be doing. They are used to being quiet and getting things done without leaving a clue behind. They take that stuff seriously; completely committed and concentrated on a job, but that’s part of it; that’s where they get their kicks, being totally into it is what’s fun for them.”

     “This _is_ different, Shane,” Mai continued, “because it’s not for fun this time. But they know what they’re doing. The Sevens’ are amateurs. Our boys will go into this as they usually do. They aren’t taking this lightly which means less chance for anything to go wrong.”

     Shane sighed. “Jared did say that. He said they won’t even know it’s coming.”

     “They won’t. Why should they when Hudson’s been prancing around town as if nothing happened?”

     “I can’t believe Hudson would be that stupid,” Shane replied. “I was there when he and Damien got into it. There’s no way he could have missed how serious Damien was being.”

     “Obviously he did, because you still ended up hurt.” Sheera blew out a breath and leaned into him. “Anyway, they’ll call as soon as it’s done. C’mon, cuz. Let’s go for a walk,” she suggested quietly.

     “Alright.” He didn’t really feel like going for a walk, but it may keep his mind off the guys for a little bit. And he knew Sheera and Mai were worried too. Helping each other with distractions seemed the best thing to do at the moment.

 

* * *

 

Kenny Hudson was in deep shit and he knew it. So driving down to his family’s lake house outside of town seemed to best thing to do and it was a great place to hide. No one but his family knew about the place. He would be safe there until he could think about what to do next. Turning off the main road, Kenny steered his silver Escalade onto the narrow road thickly lined with trees. The narrow road headed deep into the forest leading straight for the cottage.

     Eyes wide and terrified, they wheeled around the dark area, looking for anything that shouldn’t be there, for any indication that he wasn’t alone. But he was alone. Here and in the city. His crew was dead. He’d seen three of them. Kenny had planned on going to Dive’s house to chill. Instead of a party he found three bodies; Ray and Z’Light had been shot in the head point blank. Dive, who was the toughest motherfucker Kenny had ever met, had been lying in his living room with his throat cut wide open. Kenny had rushed from the house and puked all over the bushes.

     Pulling up to the two-story cottage, Kenny cut the engine and slumped into the black leather seat. After Dive’s house he bolted, not wanting to get caught there. He didn’t want to get pulled into shit. For a brief moment he thought the murders had nothing to do with him. He thought that until he tried calling other Sevens. The gang consisted of twelve brothers. Out of the twelve, only one of the Sevens’ phone was answered. And it wasn’t Tabs who spoke.

     _“Only one Seven left. You’re next you piece of shit.”_

Kenny had wasted no time getting the hell out of town. He hadn’t recognized the voice, but he didn’t need to. The only person who’d go this far, the only person who had a reason to do this was Shrod. Kenny couldn’t go to the police without incriminating himself and even then, being in a cell wouldn’t have saved him from Shrod. He knew that much now. Why hadn’t he believed Shrod? Well, the guy was a fucking faggot, wasn’t he? What kind of shit could he do? But now, it was obvious he’d underestimated Damien Shrod. Though Kenny was willing to bet Shrod had others do his dirty work for him. No way could that queer do what he’d seen in Dive’s house. Regardless… everyone was dead and apparently he was next.

     “Fuck!” he shouted, slamming a fist against the steering wheel. He swallowed thickly and reached over to open the glove compartment where he’d thrown his pistol. Before leaving the safety of his vehicle, Kenny checked his phone; trying to think of someone he could call. He thought maybe he should call his pops… maybe his dad could talk to the senior Shrod. Get him to call off his son. The Seven who had stabbed Williamson was dead anyway. Shrod should be happy with killing him and the rest of his gang. Desperate for help, he dialed his father’s number… only he found there was no signal whatsoever. That put him on edge. He’d never had problems with the signal out here before.

     He spent another few minutes staring at the dark house. Spent even more time scanning the completely dark area around him before finally climbing from his vehicle, his gun clutched tightly in a shaking hand. For some reason he thought the house was just a little too dark, the surrounding area a little too quiet. Eventually he shook out of the paranoia, reminding himself no one but his family knew about this place. His dad making sure of that since it wasn’t exactly a legal buy. There were enough supplies to last him a while until he could figure out what to do.

     As he unlocked the door, Kenny decided he’d just get drunk tonight and try to forget he was in deep shit. He walked in and locked the door behind him before turning on the hall light. Ahead of him at the end of the hall was the door leading to the kitchen, to the side was the stairs, to the left was the living room, and to the right was the dining room. Kenny stood still, listening. The house was silent.

     Snorting at his fear, the black man pushed his gun in his pants before bounding upstairs to his room where he always kept a large stash of cannabis. He rolled a fatty before leaving his room to head back down to the den where his father kept a fully stocked bar. Walking in, he flicked on the light switch and promptly froze when finding three Glocks with silencers aimed at his chest. The joint dropped from his fingers as he took in the four men sitting casually around the room, all wearing gloves, ski masks pulled on just to cover the hair, and sporting weapons.

     Straight across from him and leaning against the wall was Shrod’s bodyguard. Slightly to the left leaning against the bar was that fucker Caleb Reed. Next to him, sitting on the bar was Shrod. The fucking blond was leaning back with his hands spread out, palms flat on the wooden surface- an ice pick inches away from his fingers- while his long legs were crossed at the knees. Posing there like he was a fucking woman. Across from the bar on a long couch was Red’s friend and the shrimp’s boyfriend, Tony Candon.

     Candon looked relaxed enough; sitting back with his legs spread out in front of him and the gun pointed on Kenny. But his eyes burned with a furious light. Kenny saw his finger twitching against the trigger of his gun.

     Despite the three guns aimed at him, Kenny slowly moved his hand behind him.

     “You actually believe you’d get to that piece before we shoot you?” Caleb asked and Kenny’s hand froze, looking at him. Shrod’s smile widened. His hand slipped over to grab the ice pick before he leaned over to Reed.

     “He’s got pot!” Shrod whispered excitedly.

     “We can smoke some after,” Caleb whispered back. “I’m not smoking anything he rolled. Never know what else he put in it.”

     “You bloody hypocrite,” the bodyguard hissed at the blond without taking his off Kenny.

     “It’s not the same!” Shrod defended as he jumped off the bar, the ice pick twirling between his fingers.

     Jared sneered at him before gesturing to Tony. “Grab his weapon-- don’t move, Hudson.”

     As Tony stood, Damien circled the room. “It’s a shame what happened to your friends. Did you see any of them?”

   “You went to Dive’s house, right?” Caleb asked with a smirk. “Dive was a good friend of yours. Big fucker, wasn’t he? He was like your second in command, right?”

       Tony approached Hudson. “Put your hands behind your head,” he instructed. When Hudson didn’t move fast enough, Tony shot his left knee. While Hudson was distracted by falling to the floor and screaming like a bitch, Tony took his gun and tossed it to Jared, who inspected the gun with a raised brow. “Which one of us do you think killed Dive?” Tony asked lowly. He really wanted to see the look on Hudson’s face when he found out. He wanted Damien to get some earned recognition because obviously Hudson hadn’t taken Damien seriously. That’s always a mistake.

     “Oh, I know!” Damien exclaimed, jumping up and down with his hand high in the air. When Hudson finally pulled his gaze away from his knee and looked at him, Damien grinned and strode towards him, wielding the ice pick. He bent down until their noses were nearly touching. “It was me…” Seeing the incredulous look on Hudson’s face, Damien laughed. “I told you. Mess with Shane and it’ll be the last thing you ever do.”

     Before Hudson could respond or even move, Damien’s arm jerked forward, sliding the ice pick in between the bastard’s ribs, purposely puncturing a lung so as not to kill him immediately. “It’s so interesting, the sound one makes when they’ve got a hole in them somewhere. Listening to your shaky gasps really turns me on. Oh, and now you’re trying to scream…” Damien’s smile twisted as he sunk the tip of the ice pick into Hudson’s neck just above the collarbone; again someplace that wouldn’t automatically kill the bastard. “You know, when you had Shane stabbed, he didn’t scream. He didn’t even cry. You know why? It’s because he’s more of a man then you are—do you think it would hurt if I shoved this into your temple?” he asked quickly and eagerly like a child on too much sugar.

     “Damien.” Tony dropped a hand on his friend’s shoulder and pulled him back.

     Kenny was on his back now, staring at the ceiling. Clutching at his bleeding knee and the small puncture in his neck. Trying to drag in a much air as he could from the use of only one lung. He was gasping out words, trying to beg. Prepared to give them anything they wanted as long as they didn’t kill him. Shrod laughed at him. Caleb snorted and leaned back against the bar. He was more than willing to let Damien and Tony take care of Hudson on their own. “Man, you’re finally getting what you deserve,” he muttered, staring at Kenny.

     Jared moved over to Tony. “You want to do it or shall I?”

     “Let me—back away, Damien!” he shouted after Damien had lunged forward again, a knife now in his hand instead of the ice pick.

       The blond grinned sheepishly as he moved away, pulling the knife out of Hudson’s chest. “Sorry! Y’know, stabbing someone in the chest is hard. You gotta get through the breastplate...” he trailed off seeing Jared looking at him with an unreadable expression. He approached the silent man, a pensive expression on his own face.

       Jared’s eyes narrowed, easily reading Damien’s fearful thoughts. His arms flashed out and he drew the worried blond into his arms. He dropped a kiss on Damien’s forehead before turning to Tony. “Do it now. He’s pretty much gone anyway.”

     Damien twisted around in Jared’s reassuring arms to watch. Tony moved to stand over the dying man and raised his pistol. His face was devoid of emotion, but Damien knew his best friend was seeing Shane lying on the dance floor, bleeding to death. Shane lying in the hospital hanging onto life by a mere thread.

     “You almost took him from us,” Tony said, staring into Hudson’s glazed eyes which were already dulling as life poured out of his wounds. “For no reason, you almost took him...”

       Tony pulled the trigger. He didn’t even flinch at the soft pop that echoed throughout the room. Simply lowered the pistol back to his side and stared at the body before him, watched the line of blood trickle from the center of Kenny Hudson’s forehead down passed his eyes and to the side of his nose.

     Caleb hopped off the bar and snagged the sleeve of Damien’s shirt. “Let’s go see what he’s got.”

     Damien flew from Jared’s arms to follow Caleb through the house and up the stairs. Both jogging up like children. Jared shook his head. He stood by the thoughts he had when he first met everyone in Damien’s apartment that first day. This lot was crazy. “Tony?”

     “I’m good,” he replied, stepping away from Hudson and looking around. “Where are they?”

     “Upstairs. Pot?” Jared asked with a raised eyebrow.

     Tony shrugged. “That’s how they bonded back in junior high. Damien was the first of us to become friends with Caleb. They were both on the basketball team. Hated each other to begin with.”

     “Why? Caleb take exception to Damien being gay?”

     “Nah. That flamboyant shit just mainly annoyed Caleb at the beginning. It was the whole rich kid versus ghetto kid that got between them. They used to get into fights all the fucking time.” Tony snorted as he and Jared moved out of the den and into the hall. “The fights helped Caleb’s opinion of Damien though. He grew to respect Damien when he never backed down in a fight. And then he only hated Damien on principal. Same for Damien. Then one day- a very bad day for both of them- Damien stumbled onto Caleb smoking a joint in the field behind our school. After the shitty day they’d had, neither felt like fighting, and instead Caleb offered to share. They were tight after that. And eventually Caleb starting hanging with me, She, and Mai.”

     “He’s a fucking hypocrite!” Jared hissed, crossing arms over his chest and looking petulant.

     Tony chuckled at the older man’s expression as they headed upstairs. “Dude, at least its only weed. And it’s hardly ever now days. Those two like it, but they don’t go out looking for it. But if it’s presented- like now- then they’re game. And man,” Tony laughed and shook his head, “those two are fucking hilarious when toasted.”

     “I’m curious, because it’s not in my files, but I know Damien went to boarding schools as a kid, and then after ended up at your school. Why’d he go to your school and not some upscale junior high and high school?”

     “First it was to piss Shrod off after he’d gotten kicked out of the boarding schools… but in the first place, it was his mother that sent him to those schools. I don’t think Shrod really wanted to send him away… and after,” Tony shrugged. “Don’t know why Shrod didn’t make Damien go to some upscale private school in town, since there’s plenty. But Damien says he liked our school. For a snobby rich kid, he can be really down to earth. He likes the nitty gritty sometimes. He likes to mix it up. Go to a middle class school, but get dropped off and picked up by a driver in a fucking Rolls Royce…” Tony stopped and laughed. “Going to school in designer clothes and preening under the envious attention he was getting. At a private school, those things wouldn’t have made him stick out so much, since all the students would have been that way. Damien likes being the unique individual in a room.”

     Jared smirked. He knew that well enough. “And I suppose part of the reason he went to the same high school was because of your friendships.”

     “Yeah. It had to be like that… after what happened to him. By the end of junior high, we were all really tight. Damien refused to go to the prep school his father had picked out for him. Mostly because of us, but partly it was to piss the old man off. I think Shrod relented because he knew Damien needed us.” Tony looked Jared straight in the eye. “He would have ended up dead one way or the other. He was… he was a mess by his fifteenth birthday. Suicidal, you know.”

     Jared nodded and gripped Tony’s shoulder, wanting to shake away the pain of the past.

     Upstairs Damien and Caleb found Hudson’s room and spied a bag of top grade hydro lying on the bed. In Damien’s opinion that was the only thing worth any value in this itsy bitsy little cottage. At the moment he was pacing back and forth waiting on Caleb who was rolling a second joint. “Could you possibly hurry? Wanna get out of here already…” Damien grinned evilly at his tall friend, “I can feel his ghost poking me.”

     “Shut the fuck up, dude!” Caleb shouted and then because he was very superstitious and believing of all that crap started eyeing every inch of the room.

     “No, really,” Damien whispered and started poking himself. “Here and here and here… think he’s trying to get me back?” The blond had never seen Caleb roll a joint so fast.

       Damien was in the midst of filling the room with an evil cackle when he noticed Tony and Jared standing just outside of the door. Jared looked nothing but amused but Tony rolled his eyes and told them to hurry up so they could go.

     “Not cool, man. So not cool,” Caleb muttered as he stuffed the bag of weed into the deep pocket on his thigh.

     “I can feel a presence too,” Tony whispered as they headed downstairs. Damien ran a finger lightly down the back of Caleb’s neck and snickered when the black man shuddered violently.

     “Quit it! That shit’s not funny!” Catching Jared giving him a look, Caleb glared as he rubbed down the hairs at the back of his neck. “It’s not funny,” he mumbled. “These fuckers always mess with me… They don’t believe, but I’ve seen some shit.”

     Jared looked at him seriously. “I believe you. I’ve seen some shit too. And not the kind of shit you see out of the corner of your eye.” Damien turned and looked at Jared. His lip curled in a disgusted and disbelieving sneer. Jared laughed at his look. “It’s true.”

     “Yeah, whatever,” Damien answered. Tony snorted his disbelief.

     “Hey man, keep messing and I’ll keep this shit all to myself!” Caleb threatened, patting the pocket holding the weed.

       Damien’s lips pressed into a thin line and he stayed silent. Jared thought that was handy. Maybe he should keep a bag of weed on hand and use it to keep Damien’s mouth shut when the blond talked too much.

     When they were outside Damien pressed against Jared, grabbing handfuls of his wife beater and batting his eyelashes. “Can I slash his tires? Please, please, please… let me do it. Please?” he whispered tipping his head to the side and widening his blue eyes until he looked like a fucking puppy. A cute adorable pleading puppy.    

     “Why?” he asked in exasperation.

     “Just because.”

     Jared looked to the heavens and sighed. “Yes, fine.”

     Caleb coughed behind his hand, “sucker.”

     “You two head back to the car. Keep quiet.”

     Caleb and Tony ran off to the side of the house. Jared watched them disappear into the dense forest, heading off to the where they’d parked half a mile away at the mouth of a driveway belonging to the neighboring property.

     “Okay, I’m done!” Damien declared a moment later.

     “And the point of that was?” he asked as they dashed into the dense woods.

     “No point.”      

 

* * *

 

 Shane’s cell went off where it sat in the middle of the patio table. Mai, Sheera, and Shane stared at it as if transfixed. Each of them with their breaths held. It was nearing three in the morning. They were well and truly worried at this point. Frightened something had gone terribly wrong.

     “Answer the goddamned phone already!” Sheera screeched.

     “Okay!” Shane quickly snatched up his phone. “Geez…. hello?”

     _“Were you sleeping?”_

“Sure, man. You woke me from a fantastic dream about rainbows and fucking unicorns and sunshine coming out of my ass—No! I wasn’t sleeping, asshole! How the fuck could I sleep with you still out there?”

     There was a moment of silence and Shane had no idea what to expect, ‘cause he realized he just jumped down Tony’s throat. He wasn’t expecting the low amused chuckle pleasantly tickling his ear. _“God, I needed to hear that, Shane. Needed to hear your voice.”_

Shane just about turned to goo right there in his chair with Mai and Sheera watching him. “You’re okay, Tony?”

     _“Yeah, babe. We’re all good. Driving back now.”_

     “K. Hurry up.”

     _“Ti amo. Più tardi.”_ (1) Tony murmured lowly before disconnecting the call.

     Shane was left staring wide eyed at the phone. He must have had some sappy look on his face because Mai was giggling and Sheera started running her hands through his hair.

     “Ah, did Tony say he loves you? That’s so sweet,” Sheera cooed.

     “Take it everything went well,” Mai said in between giggles. Shane nodded slowly before shaking out of the daze and glaring, slapping Sheera’s hand away from his hair.

     “Cut it out! Damn, you’re annoying!”

     Sheera’s face scrunched up from the insult. “You ungrateful brat!” she cried in mock outrage. “If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have a nice long thick dick up your ass every night-”

     “How the hell do you know what kind of equipment Tony has?”

     “And you wouldn’t have a gorgeous man every day showing you how much he loves you!”

     “You know… you’re right,” Shane looked at her and grinned. Something about the light in his eyes had Sheera worried. “I should pay you back for that. Don’t you think, Mai?”

     Mai studied him for a moment with an amused smile, and when she finally figured out what he was getting at, she quickly nodded. “Oh yes, Shane. You must repay the huge gift she’s given you. But how to get her to accept this repayment? That is the question.”

     “Okay. What the fuck? You two are scaring me,” Sheera pushed her chair away from the table.

     “We should call Jake Strathom right now,” Shane said, toying with his phone. “I’m sure he’d have some ideas on what to get her and even how to get She to accept this gift.”

     Sheera shot from her seat. “Going to bed!” and then she was gone.

     “Dude, what the hell?”

     Mai laughed at the confusion on Shane’s face. “It’s quite simple, Shane. And I’ll tell you because obviously you’ve figured it out. Sheera’s had a crush on Jake for years. Ever since she started working for him. Her problem,” she said with a raised brow, “is that Jake Strathom is an older man, very successful, and clearly more mature. She thinks she hasn’t a chance. And even if she did have a chance with him- and in my opinion I think she has- She’s more than happy to keep things the way they are. You know her, Shane. Likes being in charge. That’s one reason why she broke up with Marc- despite us all telling her he was bad news. The moment Marc starting stepping out of her bounds, that was it.

     “Jake would clearly have the upper hand from the beginning. And she’s not comfortable with that. So she’s prepared to be satisfied with watching him from the sidelines and fantasizing. But,” and here Mai grinned deviously, “I’ve had the chance to speak with Jake on several occasions. Nothing too personal. Nothing about Sheera. Just small talk. I’m very observant. Jake’s nice enough but She’s right. He’s no push over and he’s not the type to pass up chances either. He wants something, he’ll go after it. And once he makes his mind up about Sheera, she won’t be able to keep things the way they are. That’s what I’ve been waiting for and that’s what she’s afraid of.”

     “But how do you know Strathom will go after her?”

     “Oh please,” Mai waved that away. “He came to the hospital more than once when you were in a coma to see her and you. To make sure she was dealing okay. Cut his business trip short when he heard about you. How many guys do you know would do that for an employee whom they only have a strictly professional relationship with?”

     “None,” Shane answered with a big grin.

     “That’s right. None. At first I’d had my suspicions and doubts about his intentions. But then when he came to the hospital, I knew.”

     “Stella says he stares at Sheera all the time when she’s not looking.”

     Mai nodded. “Have you seen them fight? I tell you, it’s the funniest thing! It’s full of sexual tension, and when you’re a witness to one of their fights, you’re just there waiting for the makeup sex to happen! I feel sorry for the customers that’ll be there when those two finally snap.”

     “Uh….” Shane’s eyes crossed at the thought. “Don’t really want to think about that.”

     Mai laughed as she got up and moved around to him. “We should go to bed now. Let me take you back to your room.”

     “No, it’s cool, Mai. I’m just gonna stay here till Tony gets back.”

     Mai looked at him in worry. “Have you taken your meds?”

     Blue eyes rolled as he dug in his pocket to produce two white tablets. He popped them into his mouth and dry swallowed them. Mai wrapped her arms around him from behind and pressed her cheek against the top of his head. “Mai?”

     “ _We worry about you,_ Shane. _We almost lost you_ ,” she whispered in Japanese. Having no idea what she just said, Shane awkwardly rubbed her arm. “Tony says you want to learn Japanese. I’ll be happy to teach you whenever we have our get-togethers,” she told him after pulling away.

     Shane eagerly accepted the offer. She smiled and waved goodbye. As she returned into the house he called out to her. “Was all that for real? About the yakuza?”

     Mai lifted a finger to her lips. “Shhh. It’s a secret. Not even our British spy knows about that. I can’t wait to tell him and see the look on his face.”

     Shane grinned. “I’ll keep it a secret as long as you let me be there when you tell him.”

     “Next time we’re all together then.”

     And then he was alone. After several minutes, Shane slumped in his chair and lay his cheek against the outstretched arm over the table. Staring at the phone gripped tightly in his hand. During the next moments, the expressions on his face alternated between worry over his boyfriend- despite Tony’s call- and delirious contentment over the fact Tony had said he loved him without any prompting. Said it in that low voice, murmured it in Italian and sending his brain skipping around in his head like an idiot.

     The next thing he knew, firm but gentle hands gripped his arms and pulled him into a sitting position. And then he was hoisted out of the chair and his arm was thrown over broad shoulders. Shane’s chin dropped to rest against his chest as he was half carried in from the patio. His mind was hazy from both sleep and his medication, and it took him a few moments to realize he was being helped back to his room.

     “Tony?”

     “Dreaming of rainbows and unicorns fucking?” Tony questioned as he steered his boyfriend to the bed, partially annoyed Shane had fallen asleep outside on the patio.

     “Fucking unicorns, I said.”

     “You should have gone to bed.”

     “When’d you get back?” Shane murmured after being lowered onto his back and noticing Tony was only in boxers and a t-shirt and his hair was slightly damp.

     “Bout twenty minutes ago. Had to take a shower. And then I get to your room and you’re not there…”

     “I wanted to wait up for you,” the freshman murmured as Tony began to undress him. Shane lifted his arms when Tony went for his shirt.

     “Great job with that,” the brunet murmured sarcastically, now working on Shane’s pants, eyes trailing over the bandages on his sides.

     “It’s those pills… Sides, wasn’t asleep for long,” Shane defended, lifting his hips to allow the track pants he wore to be stripped off. Once he was left in nothing but his boxers, Tony hovered over him, eyes raking over his face. “Hey,” Shane ran a hand down his arm, “you really okay? Think we should talk about what happened tonight.”

     Shane was worried about his state of mind; Tony knew that and appreciated it, but right now he wasn’t in the mood for talking. “Tomorrow, brat. We both need sleep now.”

     “Promise?”

     “Promise,” Tony murmured as he lay down beside Shane. “And before you ask… no, Damien did not go home with Jared. The spy dropped us off; made us strip right there at the front door, took our weapons and clothes and went to do something with that stuff. Told us he’d be unavailable tonight and tomorrow.”

     “Bet Damien wasn’t too happy,” Shane murmured. He sat up and gingerly twisted around so that he could lie on his stomach.

     Tony smiled and folded an arm behind his head. “Actually he understands. He was pouting, but he does understand. After everything was said and done, Jared got pissed again for bringing us. Started having a major guilt trip… but I’ll tell you about that tomorrow as well.”

     Shane nodded and closed his eyes, mind already floating away in sleep. _“Ti amo troppo,”_ (2) he murmured just before sleep took him completely away.

     Tony’s lips quirked into a half smile as he shifted onto his side, laying his head over his bent arm and staring down into Shane’s face. He lay there like that for a long time, soaking up the heat from his boyfriend, watching Shane’s eyelids flickering in sleep, brushing his fingertips against Shane’s pale eyelashes and thanking God he was still able to do these things.

     Sure, he felt guilt from killing those men. But it wasn’t something he couldn’t get over. Tony had his anger to help pass the guilt. He didn’t believe the anger brought on by having Shane nearly ripped away from him would ever fade. Tony didn’t think Caleb felt much different and Damien certainly didn’t give a shit that he’d finally been able to kill someone with a knife. He and Caleb hadn’t looked guilty at all as they smoked those joints on the way back to the mansion.

     Tony moved over and dropped his nose against Shane’s neck, nuzzling his hair out of the way and inhaling deeply so that when he finally settled down against his own pillow, he fell asleep blanketed by his boyfriend’s scent.


	18. Episode Eighteen

Shane jolted awake almost immediately after the alarm clock went off. Quickly he reached over, ignored the twinge in his sides, and turned it off. Tony stirred beside him but didn’t awake. Shane knew he wouldn’t. Not after getting home so late and Tony was usually a heavy sleeper.    

     It was only seven in the morning and Shane was sure his boyfriend wouldn’t be up till past noon. And even though he’d been up late, Shane was used to getting up early since returning from the hospital. He had a lot of schoolwork to catch up on. He was tired, sure, but he needed to study. His scholarship was at stake after all and he wouldn’t let a little thing like needed sleep get in the way of keeping that scholarship.

     Tony probably wouldn’t like that he was spending almost all his hours studying and his mother would nag too, but that was why he was currently sneaking out of bed, into clothes, picking up his school bag and sneaking away to a small unused servants room downstairs and to the back of the mansion. When he walked in, his bag slipped from his shoulder in surprise when he saw a tray sitting in the middle of the room; coffee, orange juice, bagels, and spread sitting on it. A desk that hadn’t previously been there was also in the room situated in front of the window.

     Before, the room had been empty, and Shane usually sat on the floor against the wall while doing his work

     “Damn. Someone knows I come here,” he murmured. He wasn’t unappreciative of the coffee and breakfast waiting for him, but he worried it was his mom and therefore wondered how long it would be before she was there to nag on him. Deciding that was the least of his concerns, Shane made a cup of coffee and set up at the desk, quickly diving into his work.

 

* * *

 

Damien’s beauty sleep was interrupted at nine in the morning by the buzzing of the intercom. The incessant buzzing that was right beside his fucking ear! With a growl he rolled over and pressed the talk button. “WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT, WHOEVER YOU ARE?” he screeched into the microphone.

     _“I want to see you in my office in ten minutes.”_

     “Daddy, it’s…” Damien glanced at the clock. “Too early… we didn’t get in until four this morning.” And then he and Caleb had gone to raid the kitchen, but he didn’t think his father needed to know that.

     _“Ten minutes, Damien. And don’t ever yell at me in such a way again.”_

     The blond flinched away from the intercom hearing his father’s voice low and emotionless. “Sorry.”

     Ten minutes later, Damien knocked on his father’s office door and swallowed thickly. He really should learn how to control his temper in the mornings. Especially when staying at the mansion.

     “Come in!”

     Damien threw open the door and stumbled in, not particularly graceful as he hadn’t had any much needed coffee yet. His father was sitting behind his desk, phone held to his ear and a finger raised to his son for silence. Damien approached quietly and sank down into the chair opposite his father.

     “Everything’s taken care of?” Shrod murmured into the phone. Briefly a relieved smile crossed his face and the expression had Damien taking more notice of who his father was speaking with. There were only a handful of people his father smiled for and most of those people were in the mansion that very moment. “Good. You’ve done a fine job. Get some sleep now. We’ll meet tomorrow about the merg-”

     “Is that Jared?” he cried loudly, knowing it was. “Tell him I’m still thinking about the role playing! I’m really liking the deranged demon slave idea…”

     His father had begun to scowl at him, but by the time Damien finished speaking, Shrod was back to looking amused, especially when he tilted his head, listening to Jared’s side of the conversation.

     “Did he hear me?” Damien demanded when his father hung up the phone. “Daddy, what did he say?”

       Shrod’s scowl was being defeated by the corners of his mouth trying to twitch up into a smile. “He went on to mumble and stutter incoherently like a pubescent teenager before hanging up on me. I’ll forgive him that since he’s been sleep deprived.”

     Damien sighed happily and sank further into his chair. “He hasn’t slept at all yet?” he asked after stifling a yawn.

     “No. He spent the rest of the night making sure you all stay out of prison.”

     The young blond shifted around in his chair and threw his legs over the side. “Well then I must thank him.”

     “Damien.”

     Said man sighed and threw an arm over his eyes to block out the morning sun shining in through the window. “It really is too early in the morning. Haven’t even had any coffee… if you ordered me here to talk about last night’s experience, I beg of you to wait until later.”

     “Don’t complain about how early it is. Shane has been up since seven and I’m certain he was up last night until Tony returned.”

       “What the hell for? That’s like… only three hours of sleep!”

       “He’s been studying nonstop. This isn’t a onetime thing, Damien. That boy’s been doing this since he came here from the hospital.”

      “Bet Tony doesn’t know that. The brute’s a sound sleeper. So it would be easy for cutie to slip out of bed… um, not that Tony sleeps with Shane or anything.”

     Shrod snorted. “I’m not Daisy. You needn’t try to retract that statement. And of course Tony doesn’t realize what Shane’s doing. Otherwise he would have put a stop to it somehow. Daisy doesn’t know either and I didn’t think it was my place to out him. But I do think this drive will put a hamper on his healing.”

     “I’ll tell Tony. I don’t have a problem with tattle telling.”

     Shrod smiled. “Didn’t think you would.”

     “Is there something else you needed to speak to me about? Surely you didn’t wake me up just for that?”

     “What did you do, Damien?”

     “I’m sure your super tool already told you. I never once shot a gun. I promised to never do that and I didn’t. And don’t worry… I’m still me. Last night didn’t push me over the edge. It was fun though! Fucking Hudson got what he deserved, I got to scare the shit out of Caleb, _and_ I finally got to see Jared in action!” Damien cackled evilly just as he did the night before.

     “It was fun,” Shrod repeated slowly and stared across at his son unblinkingly. Finally he grabbed a note pad with a sigh and began to write. “Need to increase your therapy sessions,” he murmured as he penned the reminder.

     Damien groaned. It was pointless to argue. However, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try. “Can’t I have ‘therapy’ sessions with Jared and call it a day?” he asked with a cheeky grin while finger quoting therapy.

     “OUT!”

     Damien hurried out of the office, laughing to himself. Then he ran up to Shane’s room. “Miss D!” he cried cheerfully. Shane’s mom had just turned away from Shane’s door.

     “Oh, hello Damien.”

     “If you’re looking for Shane, he’s not in there.”

     “Yes, I’ve just had a peek in. No Shane, but Tony was there… dead to the world.” Daisy laughed when Damien’s eyes widened and a hand flew to his mouth. “If you see Shane- because I know he tries to escape my nagging- please remind him to take his medication.”

     Damien quickly recovered from shock and smiled brightly, “course, Miss D!”

     The moment she was gone, Damien burst into Shane’s room and pounced on the bed. “TONY! WAKE UP!”

     Tony mumbled something and turned away onto his side.

     Not in the mood to be ignored, Damien huffed and climbed over the tired brunet. “Tony! Shane’s mom just caught you sleeping in his bed!”

       “Good for her, now get off me….”

       Damien grinned and sat back on Tony’s thighs, waiting for it. On schedule, Tony’s eyes popped wide open.

     “Did she- did she say anything about calling Rich?”

     The blond snickered. “She wouldn’t need to. Daddy’s got a cabinet full of shotguns. You know this.”

     Tony scowled and shoved his friend off his legs. “Did she look mad?”

     “Laughing, actually.”

     “Awkward.” Tony scrubbed a hand over his face before looking around; he noticed the time on the bedside clock and looked around the room again. “Question. Why are you in the bed instead of Shane?”

     “He’s off studying somewhere… since seven in the fucking morning! Does it every day too.” Damien sighed before jumping over to lie down beside the brunet. “And I’m tired so I’ll be going back to sleep right here. Wanna snuggle?”

       “Have I ever?” Tony said as he sat up.

       Damien propped up on his elbow and mock pouted. “Bet you snuggle Shane.”

     “Do not,” Tony murmured. His back was to Damien and he raised a hand to scratch the back of his neck. A tell tale sign that he was lying and embarrassed about it.

       The blond laughed. “Course you do. Shane loves to be touched, doesn’t he? And I bet you love to touch him just as much.”

     “Shut up.”

     “Ah, the brute’s been pulled down by looove,” Damien sang in a dumb sweet tone.

     “Your face is in danger of being damaged,” Tony warned as he stood and walked to the dresser where his clothes were stashed along with Shane’s. “Why don’t you go to Jared’s place and bug him.”

     This time Damien’s pout was real. “Cause he’s only now going to sleep. Daddy said he’d been out all this time making sure we didn’t go to jail.”

     Tony rolled his eyes as he pulled on a shirt. “Dude was seriously tripping about taking us last night.”

     “Yeah. Noticed that.”

     “Gonna take care of that?”

     “Course. I’ll give him something else to think about.”

       Damien rolled onto his back and closed his eyes, waiting. Wondering when Tony was going to catch up and ask.

     “Shane’s been studying since seven?”

     Damien smiled. Without opening his eyes, he answered, “that’s what Daddy says. He also says Shane does it every day. Whenever he can get away with it. Which is easy as you sleep late if you can and then you’re off at work for most of the day…”

     “Damn brat,” Tony growled as he yanked on jeans. “Bet he skips the pain meds too.”

     “Tony, take it easy. You know how stubborn he is. You come at him the wrong way and--” his words were cut off by the door slamming shut. He popped his head up to find Tony no longer in the room. Sighing once again, Damien grabbed the comforter and curled up under it for a nap.

    

* * *

 

It took Tony over an hour to locate him. It was probably fortunate because by the time he reached the room, he had time to think and calm down. He could understand Shane’s need to catch up. He had a scholarship after all. But that didn’t mean Shane needed or should spend every waking moment doing schoolwork.

     In the end, it was Shrod who pointed him in the right direction. Or Shrod, who’d had the butler find Tony to give him exact directions to the unused room at the back of the mansion. The Shrod mansion was an old building, over two hundred years old. A lot of old stone, secret passageways and miles of rooms. It was a place right out of a European travelers guide. Tony had always loved this place. He and the others spent a lot of time there growing up once Shrod and Damien had made peace with each other.

     It took him fifteen minutes to make his way through the place before reaching the room. He didn’t bother knocking. Instead he quietly opened the door and stepped inside, finding Shane’s back to him where the brat was hunched over the books spread across the desk situated in front of a small window. In the center of the room was a tray with breakfast. The spread container was nearly empty while the entire plate of bagels was still there.

     “You’re supposed to put the cream cheese on the bagel.”

     Shane twisted around so fast he must have aggravated his wounds because he winced as he looked at Tony with surprised blue eyes. He quickly recovered as Tony shut the door and moved in. “What are you doing here?”  
     “Did you think you found a great hiding spot?”

     Shane frowned. “I’m not hiding.”

     “No. That’s true. You couldn’t hide in this place. Shrod has eyes everywhere at all times.”

     “That explains why this desk and breakfast was here,” Shane mumbled as he returned back to his books. “Surprised you’re up already.”

     “Damien woke me up… your mother knows we sleep together.”

     Shane snorted. “Doesn’t take a genius to figure that one out, Tony. She’s known for a while. Mom’s cool and she likes you so it’s no big deal. She also knows I was thinking of moving in with you… though,” he paused and ran a hand through his hair. Tony tensed. It meant Shane was about to say something he knew Tony wouldn’t like.

     “Say it, brat.”

     “Don’t think it’s a good idea now. I won’t be able to go back to work for a while, not until I’ve caught up. Then I’ll have to go find another job… I refuse to live with you without sharing rent.”

     “You’ve still got your position at the lab. Shrod’s holding it for you.”

     Shane spun around in his chair, an excited smile on his face. “Really? Awesome!”

     “You promised to move in with me. I’m not letting you back down now. I don’t give a fuck if you can’t pay rent. I don’t give a shit if you care about that. You’re moving in with me whether you like it or not.”

     Shane went from smiling to scowling in the span of a second. “Tony!”

     The brunet smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. “You feel like having a fight about this? ‘Cause I’m not backing down.”

     Shane spun his chair back around and picked up his pencil. Tony could see his grip was tight enough to break the thing in two. He bit back a moment of frustration and twisted the freshman around to face him again. They could talk more about that later. “Why don’t you take a break… you’ve been at it since seven.”

     Shane refused to look at him and glared at his chest. “Taking a break later. Want to finish this assignment.”

     “I want to talk to you about last night.”

     Shane acquiesced after that, as Tony knew he would and he pulled the freshman out of the room and back up to the main floor.

     “Think it’ll be in the news by now?” Shane asked as they walked into Damien’s playroom and shut the doors behind them.

     “Without a doubt,” Tony replied as he stretched out on one of the couches facing the television, “though they probably haven’t found Hudson yet?”

     Shane dropped on top of Tony, back pressed against the older man’s chest and smiled when Tony wrapped an arm across his chest to keep him in place. His free hand threaded into Shane’s hair when the freshman rested his head against his shoulder.

     “So we started out at Damien’s place,” Tony began quietly; glad Shane’s head was where it was and bringing his lips close to the brat’s ear. He felt talking above a whisper was not appropriate somehow.

     Shane laughed when he described Damien’s reaction to seeing Jared for the first time that night. “Told him. I told him Damien was going to try and eat him. Okay, what happened next?”

     And Tony went on with the events, leaving nothing out. He might have thought of leaving things out, but knew Shane wanted to know everything. He had one moment of doubt about telling Shane of what he’d done, but Shane already knew the end results of last night anyway, and he knew Shane wouldn’t think less of him for it.

     “Still love you, ya know,” Shane said once everything had been said. “You’re not the same person, but I still love you.”

     “No, I’m not the same.” Because no one could be exactly the same after taking a life. “But at least I’m not like Dame or Jared. Neither were fazed by what was going on… should have seen Damien with Hudson… and what he did in that one guy’s house. And then Jared… he was using that sniper rifle… and enjoying it.”

     Shane said nothing, staring up at the ceiling. He really didn’t know what to say. It was over and done with and he suspected Tony wanted to move on from this and never talk about it again. Shane was all right with that. He was just glad nothing had happened to his boyfriend and the others last night. That’s all he’d really been worried about.

     His thoughts were interrupted when Tony kissed the skin below his ear. “Let’s get out of here and go do something.”

       Shane shivered as those lips continued to brush against his skin. “Does something eventually lead to sex?”

       He felt those lips curve into a smile. “No sex.”

     “Then no, man. I don’t want to do anything but study. Which I need to get back to,” he answered, pulling away and standing. “Why don’t you go back to sleep? You look tired.”

     “You are one annoying brat! You do know that right?” Shane paused on his way to the door and looked over his shoulder. Tony stood and approached, raising his arms to lace fingers behind his head. “I’m beginning to think you’re only with me for the sex.”

      Shane grinned. “Well… you do know how to work it. I’d be an idiot not to take advantage of that.”    

     Tony looked startled for a second and then he frowned. “That’s not what you were supposed to say.”

       “And you know I’m not the type of person to date someone only for sex.”

     “Oh yeah? What about that teacher?” he kind of regretted saying that almost immediately when Shane’s smile disappeared.

     “That was different.” Shane spun around to walk away. “I was stupid.”

     “Shane-”

     “Forget it.”

     “You’re moving in with me!” Tony yelled as the freshman left the playroom to go back to the small room downstairs.

     “We’ll see,” Shane murmured.

     “I’m giving you one hour before I go back down there and drag your fine ass away from the books!”

       Shane continued on his way without saying anything.

       “Fuck!”

 

* * *

 

Damien stood outside of the door staring at it. He’d been staring at it for the last ten minutes. Wrapping an arm around his stomach, he lifted a hand and started to bite his thumbnail. _This is stupid. I shouldn’t be here. Why am I afraid?_

     Taking a breath, Damien lifted a hand and finally knocked and then scowled when he saw his fist was shaking. Pulling his hand back, he pushed his hands into the pockets of his black leather jacket and started to finger his keys and cell phone. Moments went by and no one answered. He didn’t hear any movement within the apartment either. Frowning now, Damien ran an agitated hand through his ear length blond hair. He then pulled out his phone and started to send a text… only to stop short of sending it when a particularly bad thought entered his mind.

      Why was he even there when the man was probably already asleep or still sleeping? It was midnight, after all, and he had sent several messages already and none had been answered. Was Jared even home? What the hell was he doing here? Damien bit his lip, realizing something he didn’t really want to realize… Clingy. He was being clingy. Jared probably wasn’t the type of man to like clingy people. And Damien was sure he didn’t like being that way either... Suddenly his frown turned into a scowl. It was Newton’s fault he was being this way, feeling this way. Needing him so goddamned much! It was always Newton’s fault!

     He dropped his cell back into his pocket and with a determined air, turned away from the door. He should go and wait for Jared to come to him. Wait for Jared to tell him exactly what this relationship was. He had no idea how to label it. And he refused to be some clingy little bitch- even though he often acted like it with his friends. But with his friends, they were obviously different.

   Damien reached the elevators and was just about to push the down button when a voice stopped him. “Where are you going?”

     “Home,” he answered without looking at Jared and punched the button. _What the hell? He was home this entire time! Why the hell hadn’t he answered the door before? And why did he decide to answer it now when I want to escape? Typical Newton!_

     “And why,” the bastard drawled with obvious amusement, “would you go home when you’ve only just arrived?”

     Damien didn’t answer. Instead he started beating the button, inwardly yelling at it to hurry the hell up. His eyes lit up when the doors slid open with a chime. Unfortunately before he could jump into the elevator, a hand wrapped around his arm and yanked him back. Jared didn’t say anything. Only held Damien against his chest, waiting for the blond to explain his behavior.

     “Hate you so goddamned much, Newton… making me clingy.”

     “Ah.” Jared grinned stupidly and dropped his nose to the top of the blond’s head. Inhaling the scent of Damien’s shampoo. Some exotic fruit scent that smelt like heaven. He chuckled against those longish strands.

     Damien huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s not funny,” he mumbled. “So if you could let go of me, I’ll be on my way.”

     “What did you come here for?”

     “Not for what you think. I just… wanted to make sure you were okay.”

     Jared’s smile only grew. “That’s… sickeningly sweet.” Damien’s outraged gasp made him chuckle. “Come in then and have a beer with me.”

     “No. I…” Damien’s eyes wheeled around, widening, already searching for an exit. “It’s late. I should go home.”

     Jared dragged Damien back to his apartment and ignored the blond’s sort-of-panicking halfhearted attempts to get away. He’d heard the knock at his door and had silently approached it and stood there a few moments to watch Damien through the peephole, wondering at the myriad of expressions crossing the Shrod heir’s face. The blond seemed so uncomfortable and then furious. And now he knew why.

     Jared snorted as he pulled Damien into the apartment. He pulled the blond against his chest again and kicked the door closed. Damien could be clingy all he wanted. As long as it was with no one but him.

     Damien blew out a breath, pulled away from Jared and ventured deeper into the condo without any more prompting. Jared smirked to himself as he locked the door. “What were you doing before I knocked?” Damien asked while taking off his jacket. He threw it over the back of the couch. “You weren’t asleep?

     “Working,” Jared answered on his way to the kitchen.      

     “Working on what?” he asked. Jared motioned to the coffee table where several reports were spread out. Damien leaned forward to snatch one up without permission and opened it. “The merger,” he murmured. His father was orchestrating a merger with a lesser company. He closed the folder with a disdainful sneer and tossed it back to the coffee table just as Jared sat beside him. “I don’t want a fucking merger,” he whined as Jared nudged the knee beside his and handed over the beer. “A merger means more shareholders and they’ll want to turn it into a legal corporation which means a board of directors. They take over control-”

     “Of the lesser company. The merger isn’t for all of Shrod Group. Your father is not going to stand for having a board of directors that he has to listen to. Haven’t you realized what he’s doing?”

     Damien didn’t want to admit to being out of the loop. “I’ve been distracted lately…”

     “One reason why Shrod put me in charge of this little project,” Jared explained, lifting his long legs and dropping them on the coffee table. “I’ve been instructed to head the merger and let Mashita buy me out, thus ridding ourselves of a portion of the company Shrod wants nothing to do with anymore. It’s also a test for me. To see how well I can run this particular operation.”

     “Hmm…” That didn’t seem like such a bad idea. As Damien thought about the possibilities, he shifted and folded his legs underneath him- after kicking his shoes off of course because it would have been rude otherwise. “You’re going to Japan?”

     “Eventually and probably London for several meetings with the corporate lawyers- bunch of bullocks if you ask me. You’re better with dealing with the legals than I am. Haven’t the patience for their shite.”

     “And I do? Don’t think--” Jared had a lover in London. “You’ll be gone for more than a month,” he whispered.

     “Something like that,” Jared replied slowly, studying the younger man’s profile. Damien was looking away and from his tense shoulders Jared knew the avoidance was intentional. “Tell me what you’re thinking, Damien.”

     “No.”

     “It’s only a month. Maybe less. Shouldn’t be longer than that.”

     Damien’s hands fisted on his knees. _Yeah, a fucking month with your fucking British lover! What am I even doing here?_ His feet dropped back to the floor. “I’m gonna go.”

     “The hell with that!” Jared grabbed Damien’s arm to keep him sitting and dropped his own feet to the floor. He slammed his beer bottle down, unconcerned that it was now bubbling over and pouring beer all over the table. Damien was slightly afraid from the force of Jared’s words, but that was replaced by shock when a hand cupped the side of his head. The blond’s eyes widened just as Jared turned and jerked him over in such a way that he was now nearly straddling him. “What the fuck is wrong?”

     Damien dropped his forehead to Jared’s chest. “You have a lover there.”

     “Err… what?”

     “I don’t want to share with some British prick, bitch, or whoever it is you’ve got there,” Damien whispered against his shirt.

     Jared mouthed the words Damien had just said, nothing but confusion clouding his face. “I don’t have a lover, Damien,” he finally replied.

     “You don’t need to lie. Why else would you have disappeared that time we were in London? I didn’t see you the whole time. Course you have a lover.”

       Jared shook his head. “I don’t have a lover.”

     The blond’s face rubbed against his chest as he shook his head in disbelief. Jared very nearly growled with impatience. He shifted again, placed his hands very firmly over the blond’s arse and pulled until Damien was straddling him, until their crotches were aligned. Damien’s mouth opened in a gasp against Jared’s neck when he felt the hardness beneath him. “I was trying to avoid you. We’ve been over this.”

     “You didn’t need to disappear off the face of the earth for that!”

     “I wasn’t even in England! I was in Ireland meeting a mentor of sorts.”

     “What kind of mentor?” the blond asked slowly. His eyes were closed and he was concentrating on the feel of the body beneath him and Jared’s hands had started to wander beneath his shirt…

     “The sort that takes children who’ve been traumatized and turn them into killing machines for their own gain.”

     Damien’s face popped up and he looked very interested. “More.”

     Jared dropped his head back against the armrest. “Not where I wanted this to go right now.”

     Damien wiggled over him. “More,” he breathed.

     Jared lifted his head and glared. “Princess…”

     Damien’s eyes darkened. “Bastard.”

     That was the breaking point. Only seconds passed before lips, teeth, and tongues clashed all at once. Nothing about the kiss was tentative or teasing; just passionate and full of hunger. Every touch and kiss swirled together in a frenzy of movement; everything leading to an inevitable and anticipated conclusion.

     They were up and moving towards the bedroom without any words spoken. Jared managed to get Damien’s shirt off and dropped it along the way. He wasn’t sure how, since it seemed their lips had never separated, but Damien had managed to get his shirt off a long time ago.

     When finally he had the blond lying in his bed completely stripped, panting harsh breaths, his hair damp from the heat and exertion, Jared took a long moment to thoroughly enjoy the view. After having to go so long only fantasizing about it, he figured he was owed a long look. But that view was obscured when Damien began to turn on his stomach. What pissed Jared off the most was the look in those blue eyes as he turned. They’d begun to change, to block out any feeling.

     Jared hissed in fury and pulled the man onto his back. “I’m not just anyone, Damien. I don’t want you like that!”

     Damien swallowed thickly before nodding, still a bit hesitant. But that was okay. Jared was prepared to shake him from his worry about making this personal. Damien’s gaze moved away from him for only a moment and then he looked back to Jared with clear eyes. “I trust you, Jared.” The blond sat up and grabbed Jared’s hand to pull him on top of him. Jared knew Damien had no idea what those words meant to him. But it was like giving him the entire world.

       Damien was in the midst of another panic attack, but this one was completely welcomed. Because Jesus Christ! Jared knew exactly what he was doing! With his mouth and hands and fingers… Three of which were currently up his ass, stretching him in an exquisite fashion while the man’s mouth was firmly around his cock and his tongue danced around the swollen member; teasing and brushing and pulling an orgasm from him. Damien lay on his back gasping and babbling nonsense, his own fingers stuck amidst Jared’s dark hair and pulling with every thrust of those fingers. And then Jared hit _that_ spot and Damien screamed. Back arching off the bed as streams shot down Jared’s throat.

     Damien felt like a rag doll as he gasped for breath and watched Jared pull away slightly, rubbing away the come dribbling down his chin. “That’s… that’s never happened before,” he breathed as his eyes traveled over Jared’s body, reveling in the way Jared’s skin was slick and the way his muscles were obviously tense. The look in his eyes… the gray that had darkened to dark onyx pools was fascinating and Damien felt smug knowing that was all for him.

     “You’ve never come before?”

     Damien sucked in a breath. Was that Jared’s voice? Low, hoarse and oh so sexy. “Not like that.”

     “Am I the first to have made you scream like that?” the man asked as he spread Damien’s legs wide.

     “That’s never happened before,” Damien repeated in awe.

       Jared’s look of intense concentration lightened a bit as he smirked and leaned down, gripping the blond’s hips before pulling him into another long thorough kiss. “It’s not over yet,” Jared promised against his lips and then thrust in. Damien swore he saw a whole new world around him. Blinding and full and hot and completely Jared. No, thank God, it wasn’t over.

 

* * *

 

He sat up slowly. The red numbers on the alarm clock proclaimed it was nearing five in the morning. Jared was on his back, an arm thrown over his eyes. Damien assumed he was asleep. They’d only finished fucking an hour ago. Another thing that had never happened before. Damien hadn’t even been aware that a couple could fuck for that long… but then again Jared was a god and Damien had never allowed anyone to go slow before. In the past it had always been cum and get out. Out of me, out of my home, and out of my life and don’t come back, thank you very much. But now it was different. Jared was intent on breaking all of his rules.

     His hands shook as he moved to place his feet onto the carpet. A world of turmoil rolled through him as he reached down to grab his jeans. He wanted to stay- another first- but the thought sent him into a panic. And once again he was sure Jared disliked this clinginess Damien had developed over him. Jared would probably be grateful that he was gone once he woke up. Damien nodded firmly with that thought as he slipped into his jeans, preparing to sneak out into the living room where his shirt, jacket, and shoes were. The thought that this was for the best kept running through his mind as he opened the door.

     Just as he stepped out, an arm snagged him around the waist and jerked him back into the room. “Just where the fuck do you think you’re going, princess?” a raspy voice hissed in his ear.

     “I don’t stay,” he replied flatly, ignoring the goose bumps running along his body with having Jared’s naked body pressed against his back.

     Jared made a sort of tisking sound and then sighed with clear annoyance. Next thing Damien knew, he was thrown back onto the bed and Jared was crawling over him.

     “How many bleedin’ times do I need to tell you this is very personal? Old rules do not apply to me.”

     “Very personal means a clingy Damien,” he whispered.

     “Sure I’ve known this for a long time,” Damien’s eyes widened in surprise to hear an unfamiliar and tired brogue, “you spoiled-”

     “Don’t you dare finish that!” the blond hissed and bucked his hips for good measure. Jared flashed a tired grin before dropping a kiss to the blond’s lips. When he pulled away, Damien started to worry after noticing Jared had a hard glint in his eyes.

     “What’s wrong? Are you mad at me?”

     “Dragged you into bed before I’d planned,” Jared mumbled.

     A smug grin settled onto Damien’s face and he drew his bastard associate into another kiss. But when they separated again, Jared still looked annoyed. It didn’t take the blond long to figure out what was going on in Jared’s mysterious mind. And he promptly snickered.

     “Feeling guilty about taking us is stupid.”

     Jared looked momentarily surprised and Damien’s grin grew. “It’s not like your guilt was well guarded, hun. It practically oozes out of you. And really, stop feeling guilty. If you hadn’t taken us along,” he murmured against the delicious neck close to his lips, “we would have gone without you. That’s a fact.”

     “You would have been killed or caught,” Jared replied roughly. Damien wasn’t sure if it was because the thought angered him or if Jared was reacting to his teeth nipping softly at the flesh over his Adam’s apple. But whatever the reason, Damien shivered pleasantly from the harsh voice.

       “Your guilt is worthless. Instead of worrying about that, you should instead worry about me catching that Irish accent you used a few minutes ago… what was that, sweetie?” Damien inquired in such a sweet voice that Jared backed away slightly, wary.

     “Err…Shut up and go to sleep!” Jared snapped, rolling off him.

     Damien peered into Jared’s narrowed groggy eyes and laughed. “Someone’s grumpy.”

     “M’tired,” Jared mumbled. Damien stood back up to remove his pants. “Going back to sleep. Be here when I wake up.”

     “Or what?”

     Gray eyes slowly traveled up and down Damien’s body; eyes clearly appreciating the view. “You ever want to fuck again?” he asked with a smirk.

     Damien nodded vigorously. “Yeah. Many more of those, please.”

     “Then you’ll be here when I wake up.”

     “That’s like… that’s blackmail!” Damien pulled his pants back up. “YOU CAN’T BLACKMAIL-” a pillow was launched at his face and hit its mark.


	19. Episode Nineteen

Shane returned to school the next Monday… and immediately wished he’d stayed in bed and never ventured outside of the Shrod compound. His wounds were closed by this time, the stitches disintegrated, and all he really felt was an annoying itch most times. Unless he bent suddenly or jerked around too fast, but then it only kind of stung. And since Tony didn’t seem to be interested in touching him like that anymore, bending over wasn’t something he did often nowadays.

     But his healing wounds and the fact he still felt run down wasn’t the reason why he wished he hadn’t come. It was being in a place constantly surrounded by people. And his first class of the day just added fuel to the fire. The Tyrant made it a mission to pick on him and no one else throughout the class time. Connor suggested Shane drop the bastard’s class and Shane would have if he could. But the fact was it was too late in the semester to drop a class without it messing with his GPA, so he was stuck. And then Shane was dismayed to find out everyone on campus seemed to have heard what happened to him. Not only was he getting sympathetic pats from his friends, happy he was back, but also strangers were coming up to him; telling him they were glad he was okay.

     “The Haze is a popular place for Allmsted students,” Connor told him on the way to Algebra. “And you’re popular whether you want to be or not, being a track star. The local news ran a story about it, and even the school paper put out an article. There was a picture too from the club…”

     Shane didn’t react well to the large amount of people crowding around him and he was thankful Connor took note of this quickly on and ushered him to their next class. At lunch, Shane had chosen a table where he could press his back up against a wall; using the table to protect one side… he didn’t like the way he was acting. Being scared of any stranger getting too close to him, but he also felt it was a reasonable reaction after being stabbed nearly to death amongst a huge crowd. Connor was truly an awesome friend. As were Mimi and Stella. They seemed to catch on to his skittishness and helped out every chance they could in between classes.

     There was a bright spot to his day though and that was when he and Tony had been heading to school and they received a very excited call from Damien. Apparently Jared had finally fucked his brains out. Damien hadn’t gone into detail, which Shane thought was strange for the blond. But there had been a lot of sighs and throat clearing. And aside from feeling jealous because he knew he’d have a lot of persuading to do before he could get Tony to relax around him in an intimate fashion, Shane had been ecstatic to hear how happy Damien sounded. And the fact that Damien had stayed at Jared’s apartment till morning. Apparently that was a major milestone for the dramatic blond. Tony had looked exceedingly shocked when he heard that part.          

     Now he sat at the top of the bleachers, watching the track team warming up, wondering if he should even bother going to talk to Coach. Surely he’d lost his spot. It was going to take some time before he’d be back up to standards. And maybe he felt wrong somehow about track now. Hudson was gone too and that had been on the news, though they had only reported him missing. No one knew he was dead yet.

     Shane curled his hands into fists on his knees. Could he really run on this team, knowing why Hudson was gone? This whole goddamned thing had started because of this team. Being on this team was the reason why he’d been attacked. It was the reason why he nearly lost his life. But he loved to run and he would miss not being on the track and competing. Shane gritted his teeth and dropped his face into his hands. Nothing seemed right anymore.

     “Hey, cutie!”

     Shane nearly fell off the bench at hearing a voice right next to his ear. He turned and tried smiling for Damien. “When did you get here? Why are you here?”

     “Got here just now... skipped school today. Came here to make sure you don’t spend all night in the library like you planned to.”

     “Tony sent you, didn’t he?” When Damien pretended like he hadn’t heard the question, Shane sighed and stood. “Picked up all my assignments. Have a lot of work to do. Several projects actually.”

     Damien _hmmm’_ ed absently to that. “Still coming to the library with you.”

     Shane was too tired to argue, so he nodded and picked up his school bag. On the way down the bleachers, a shout echoed around the immediate area. “WILLIAMSON!”

     Shane turned back to the track to see Coach Thompson jogging towards the stands. Shane’s hands clenched around the strap of his bag. Suddenly an arm circled around his shoulders.

     “Don’t be afraid, cutie,” Damien murmured. “You love to run and you deserve to be on this team, no matter what happened. If you want to run. Run. Don’t let what happened stop you. Because if you do…I WILL KICK YOUR ASS!”

     “Jesus Christ!” Shane hissed as he jerked away to rub his ringing ear. “Fine. Fucking overbearing asshole!”

     “It’s Sheera who’s the overbearing one in our group, sweetie,” Damien returned as they descended the bleachers. By the time they reached the bottom, Coach Thompson was only a few feet away.

     Before Shane could say anything, Coach started in on him. “I expected you to be here at the regular time, Williamson! Did you hear anything about practice being cancelled?”

     Shane opened and closed his mouth, searching for something to say and currently drawing a blank. Damien nudged him in the arm. “I can’t run,” he blurted out.

     “I’ll have you in top form in no time.” Coach narrowed his eyes. “You didn’t fight death just to give up now, did you boy?”

     “No sir.”

     “Tony told me you’ve been using the treadmill every day. That’s good. Real good. Come back tomorrow, Shane. Usual practice time. We’ll go up to see Mary and draw up a workout program for you. Your spot hasn’t been lost yet.”

     Shane felt his eyes watering and hated it. “T-thanks, Coach.”

    

* * *

 

 “Glad you decided to come here instead of the staying at the library.”

     “You kept begging me, man… incessantly. Right up into my ear. Only agreed so you’d stop giving me a headache.” Damien smiled smugly at this and Shane sighed. “And I guess it is more comfortable here and since I checked out the books I needed at the library, didn’t really need to stay there… Tony will worry less anyway.” At Damien’s look, Shane rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I’m not ignoring the worry he has over me, okay? And maybe he has a point…”

     Damien chuckled lowly as he entered the kitchen in search of a soda. Once pulling one out of the fridge, he turned and sat on the island, watching Shane sink into one of the couches. He was also relieved to see Shane pull out his pain meds. Shane looked too pale, tired as all hell, and his smiles were all fake. Damien hopped off the counter and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. “Here,” he tossed it to Shane.

     “Thanks.” Shane tossed the pills into his mouth before chugging the water.

     “Going to go get changed, cutie.”

     “What for? You gotta meeting or something?”

     “No.”

     “So why are you changing?” Shane repeated, eyeing the blue polo shirt and dark jeans the blond was wearing. “Jared coming?”

     Damien huffed as he crossed to his room. “No. He’s stuck in meetings. Has a trip coming up… a big loooong trip.”

     “Then what the hell are you changing for?”

     “I’m home. I want to get more comfortable. Geez, cutie… Do your homework and stop being so fucking nosy.”

     Shane rolled his eyes. “You’re such a girl. I bet that’s your third outfit of the day.”

     “You look more like a girl than I do! You look just like your mommy!”

     Damien smirked and jumped into his room before the couch pillow could hit his head. When Damien returned, he was dressed in his ripped jeans and a faded black t-shirt. Shane laughed a little when he saw the word SHROD emblazoned in gold on the back of the shirt as the blond went back to the kitchen to pick up his soda.

     “Have some work to do, cutie… mind if I put music on?”

     “Dude, it’s your place,” Shane answered without pulling his eyes away from the biology textbook. A few minuets later Green Day’s American Idiot came blasting from the blond’s bedroom. Shane liked that album so the music and volume didn’t hinder his studying capabilities, though he wondered- because it was obvious the music was way louder inside the room- how Damien could work with it being so loud.

     An hour later, Damien reemerged from the room for another coke run. Shane was exactly as he’d left him though now he was asleep with his book forgotten in his lap. Damien returned to his room and pulled out his phone.

     **Cutie fell asleep.**

Minutes later the reply came in. **THANKS.**

Damien turned his stereo off and instead chose to use his iPod as he continued to play around with designs for the new level of Sage. When he had music blaring in his ears and his drawing table set out, it usually took no time for him to get in the zone. Usually his hand started sketching designs before his mind could catch up. But today his mind kept drifting to the previous night. The night he had experienced the most exhilarating moments of his life. And all because Jared made him feel things no one else had. He’d been so intense and not once had his gray eyes left him…

     “Shouldn’t be thinking about this right now,” he whispered, shifting a little as now his jeans were a little too tight for comfort. One thing was for sure. He couldn’t wait to see Jared again. And wasn’t that strange, for him to think such a thing? And he’d stayed the night!! What’s more, Damien had felt so good this morning waking up in the bastard’s bed. Waking up to the smell of coffee and seeing Jared in nothing but a towel in the kitchen. And seeing Jared’s pleased grin upon noticing he was awake and rumpled from sleep. Jared had tried to show him exactly how much he appreciated Damien’s morning appearance, but Damien knew Jared had meetings starting early in the morning and hadn’t let it get too out of hand.

       Damien whined and threw the pencil down on the drawing board before snatching up his phone. He hesitated only a moment before typing out a message. **Come over tonight.**

 **Planned on it,** was the nearly instant response. **Food?**

**Company?**

Damien thought about it and nodded, knowing the others would probably show up as they usually did after school and after work. **Prob… for a little bit.**

**See you in a bit, princess.**

Damien smiled brightly as he set his cell aside, content with the knowledge Jared would be over later. He wanted to keep conversing, but knew Jared was busy today. Which made it surprising when moments later he received another text from the man. **So… what are you wearing?**

Damien stared at the words, his mind going suddenly blank. And then Jared’s voice, the low sultry one from the night before repeated the words in his mind and Damien suffered a full body shiver and once again his jeans were way too tight in the front area.

     Finally he regained himself enough to text back, **ripped jeans. T-shirt. Going to change though.** Because he wanted to look sexy for Jared and these jeans and shirt didn’t seem to cut it. In fact he was sure Jared hated these jeans. Damien had caught him staring at them with a look he was sure was disdainful.

 **NO!** Damien blinked stupidly at the reply. Why did it seem an enormous amount of emotion had been put behind that? But whatever, he was going to change no matter what Jared said. **DON’T CHANGE!**

     “What the hell? Super tool has super mind-reading abilities!”

     Damien huffed in annoyance and tossed the cell to his small sofa. Fine. He wouldn’t change. But if he caught Jared staring at his jeans in that way again, he was going to go postal.

      

* * *

 

Sheera sat at the desk in the back room of the store, rapidly tapping her pen against the inventory report she was supposed to be filling out. Ever since Shane’s attempted murder she’d been having trouble sleeping and during the days she was always tired and it had been extremely hard to concentrate on anything at all. Sheera supposed she was still in shock over the stabbing incident. But she also knew it was to be expected.

     She and Shane were closer than cousins usually tended to be; in that they were more like siblings. And she suspected the bond was stronger because of the fact they hadn’t always lived in the same city and yet continuously kept in touch no matter what and despite the age difference. If something happened in the other’s life, they were always on the phone talking about it. She and Shane had always gotten along whenever their families went visiting the other. Since she was fifteen, the two of them exchanged frequent letters and even more frequent phone calls. Sheera laughed quietly to herself. Should have known Shane was queer back then. What straight male keeps in touch with his bitchy female cousin and enjoys the exchanges?

     Some people might have thought it was strange that she kept in contact with a younger kid, but Shane was no dumb shit, not even back then, and talking to him hadn’t ever felt like she was talking to a kid. When Sheera was eighteen she had gone to stay with Aunt Rose and Shane for the entire summer before returning to Allmsted to attend the university, their bond had strengthened. Sheera thought Shane was a pretty fantastic kid and she loved her cousin dearly.

     And now whenever she closed her eyes, all Sheera could see was herself standing on the quickly clearing dance floor, looking down at her baby cousin whose life was quickly draining from him.    

     “Looks like you’re working hard.”

     Sheera scowled and went back to her report, ignoring him. Hands gripped the back of her chair and suddenly Jake’s face was beside hers. His cheek nearly brushing hers. She hoped he didn’t see how her fingers tightened drastically around the pen. She loved how he smelled.

     “You’re invading my personal space,” she said tightly. “And your cologne stinks.”

     Jake chuckled and moved away to sit on the other side of her desk before propping his legs up and dropping crossed ankles on the corner of it. Sheera could feel him studying her face, probably noticing the dark circles around her eyes and the tightness of her mouth the recent stress was creating. She knew she looked like crap but didn’t really care at the moment. She’d worked for Jake long enough that he’d seen both her best and worst.

     “How’s Shane?” he finally asked.

     “Good. Went back to school today. Hopefully he doesn’t spend eternity in the library like he planned to.”

     Sheera looked up at him then and rolled her eyes when she saw how worried he looked at her appearance. And then he smiled. “You look like shit, Sheera.” She flipped him the bird. “You’re fired.” She flipped him the other one. “You look like you haven’t slept in a year.”

     Sheera’s pen began to tap the paper with more force. “Don’t you have something you need to do? Like harassing customers or other employees. Stella thinks you’re hot. Go flirt with her and leave me alone.”

       Jake tipped back in his seat and laced his finger behind his head. Sheera ignored that too. Other girls would have swooned at the move, but she would not. “The new girl is eighteen. Way too young for my tastes and completely inappropriate.”

     “You have taste?”

     “You’re a funny girl.” Sheera lips lifted a bit in response to his grin. “And you look like shit. Go home and get some rest.”

     Normally Sheera would have argued but she knew she should get out of there and she wouldn’t get any work done anyway. Not with the way she was feeling. “Thanks, Jake.”

     Jake dropped his legs to the floor and stood. “Don’t even know why I keep you on the payroll,” he teased as she went to grab her bag.

     “This store would fail without me and you know it.” Jake’s silence was answer enough, which had her smiling. “And who’s the one always going off mountain climbing and exploring or whatever the hell you like to do?”

   “Don’t hate because I have an appreciation for the outdoors.”

     Sheera snorted. “You sound just like Tony and Caleb.”

     Jake followed her out of the back and onto the floor. “It’s fun.”

     “Whatever,” she sang breezily. “Personally I think you guys like that shit because it keeps you feeling young.”

     “We are young,” Jake responded as Sheera went to the register she’d been using and logged out.

     Sheera smiled and discreetly eyed his nice outdoorsy form. Maybe it did do some good. Jake Strathom had featured in many of her wet dreams these last few years. “Keep telling yourself that, Jake.”

     Once logged out she turned and headed to the backroom, giving Stella an airy wave, and then to the exit door that would lead her to the employee parking lot. She was one foot out and paused, suddenly remembering the time Jake spent with her at the hospital. She bit her lip thinking about it. Sheera didn’t want to let him see how much it really meant to her but she really needed to thank him.

     “Forget something?”

     Sheera breathed in deeply. His cologne didn’t stink at all. In fact she was kind of embarrassed to admit sometimes it made her wet. Or maybe it was just his near presence. Sheera pulled herself together and continued out of the door and stepped to the side to lean against the wall. She then pulled out a cigarette and lit it before saying anything. Jake leaned against the doorway, watching her.

     “Thanks for coming to visit us. At the hospital.” Sheera pulled in a drag and then exhaled quickly before turning to look at him. “You didn’t need to. You don’t even really know Shane.”

     “I know he means the world to you, Sheera. Christ, you talk about him all the time. Since practically your first day working here. I feel I do know him.”

       Sheera smiled. “Yet you basically accused him of shoplifting the first time you met.”

       Jake lowly laughed. “Told you about that, huh? Besides, never knew what he looked like before then, did I? And why are you going around telling people I’m a dick at work? Should have seen the way he was glaring at me… asking if I treated all my employees like thrash.”

     “You are a dick.”

     He leaned closer to her. “Not my fault you’re a bitch.”

     “I like being a bitch,” she murmured and flicked the cigarette away into the parking lot. “Keeps things interesting.”

     “What the fuck have I told you about littering? There’s a fucking ashtray right next to you!”

     Sheera sighed and pushed off the wall to go and retrieve the butt of her cig. If there was one thing Jake Strathom hated, it was people throwing trash where it didn’t belong. And she’d learned early on to never argue with him over that. “Fucking hippy,” she snapped once back and had tossed the thing in the ashtray.

    “I’ll be the first one to say I told you so when the ozone comes crashing down around our heads.”

     Sheera couldn’t help the airy laugh that escaped her. He looked and sounded so serious when he’d said that. “You’re cute, Jake. Really.”

     “According to Damien, I’m drop dead gorgeous.”

     “Damien’s known to have bad taste.”

     “Back to tastes again.” Jake pushed away from the doorway to stand directly in front of her and the look in his eyes suddenly had her feeling wary and nervous. “What’s your taste, Sheera?”

     Sheera spun around and sped walked to her car. “C’ya tomorrow!” she called right before climbing in. She refused to look towards the door. She could see him from the corner of her eye, and she had a feeling he had a smug look on his gorgeous face. _No way, girl. No way are you going there._

    

* * *

 

 Sheera walked into Damien’s penthouse and as soon as she cleared the hallway and glanced into the kitchen, she stopped in shock. Damien was sitting on the counter near the stove with Jared pressed in between his legs. Jared had his arms stretched out on either side of her friend’s head, caging Damien in and they were making out like a pair of teenagers. What was more surprising was the fact that Caleb, Mai, and Shane were in the living room in clear view of the two. Sheera hadn’t thought Jared was the type of man to engage in PDA. Damien, yeah. But Jared. No way. Apparently she had been wrong about that one.

     Sheera watched with a growing smile as Jared pulled away from Damien’s lips only to lean forward and whisper something into the blond’s ear, which in turn made Damien gasp. “Bastard,” he laughed.

     So she knew they did the dirty last night. Finally! But this was a shocking thing to walk in on. And the others weren’t even paying attention, which made Sheera think Damien and Jared had been going at it for some time. Sheera turned away from them after catching the brilliant smile lighting Damien’s face. It was a momentous achievement, Damien finding love… even if it was puppy love. Though Sheera suspected it was more than that. In Jared’s case anyway. The spy couldn’t hide that no matter how hard he tried. Damien probably didn’t see it yet. But it was there. And at least Damien was comfortable and happy with Jared. The fact that he’d stayed over with Jared last night was simply astounding.

     However much she was happy for her friend, it also made her irrationally sad. She turned away and aimed for the couch where Mai and Shane were seated. Caleb sat on the floor in between Mai’s legs and seemed to be reading from one of his school manuals. She noticed Shane looked a bit dejected, worn out, and in serious need of a hug. So she gave him one as soon as she was beside him. She had wanted to give him a hug all damn day. Shane allowed the embrace and seemed to sag within her arms, appreciating the gesture.

     “How was school?”

     Shane shrugged and turned his face away. “The crowds scared me,” he whispered.

     Sheera made a comforting sound and wrapped an arm around his head, drawing it down to her shoulder. “It’ll get better.”

       “Guess… least I got a lot of work done here. Don’t think it’ll take much to catch up. And Coach says I’m still on the team.”

       “That’s good, Shane.”

       Shane may have missed it because he was in his own depressive mood, but neither Mai nor Caleb missed how tired they were both sounding. Shane’s attitude was clearly explainable, but Sheera’s was not. Mai leaned forward to look at her. “What’s wrong, She?”

     “It’s nothing. Just tired—what’s up with those two?”

       “Jared’s leaving on his business trip tomorrow,” Shane murmured.

       Sheera pursed her lips. “So soon?”

       “Yeah. Damien threw a little tantrum but Jared easily distracted him, as you can see,” Mai looked over to the kitchen and laughed quietly. “But now I think Jared wants us all to get the hell out.”

     “No doubt,” Caleb joined in.

     Sheera watched Jared try to pull away to mess with the pot on the stove, but Damien locked his limbs around the taller man and drew him back. Jared didn’t put up much of a fight.     “Damien’s making up for all that time he missed out on kissing. I told him it was good.”

     Shane suddenly stood. “I- I need a ride to the mansion.”

     “I’ll take you,” Sheera said as she stood, quickly followed by Mai and Caleb who decided it would be better for them to leave as well.

       As she was following Shane and the others out of the door, someone grabbed her arm and she turned to face a worried looking Damien. “It’s okay, sweetie,” she told him, smiling a little at his blush and his bruised lips. “Shane’s… not good right now.”

     “Yeah, I know. He’s been staring off into space since he woke up,” Damien whispered, staring over her head to the freshman who was already in the elevator, slumped against the wall. “Wouldn’t even really talk to me when I tried drawing him out of it. He looks like he’s hurting.”

     They both knew Damien wasn’t talking about physical pain. “He needs time, I think. Anyway, we’re going. You and Jared have fun.”

       Jared snagged Damien around the waist and tugged the blond back against his chest. “He will,” Jared murmured and then slammed the door closed.

       “YOU CAN’T SLAM THE DOOR IN MY FRIEND’S FACE, BASTARD!”

       Sheera laughed and heard Jared’s reply that she was his friend too and she’d completely understand and forgive the rude gesture. She also lingered long enough to hear Jared talk about being enticed for far too long by those fucking fantastic rips in the denim.

    

* * *

 

 It was past eleven when Tony finally left work and headed to the Shrod mansion. As he drove, he thought about how nice it would be when he could simply go back to his apartment. Not to say he didn’t like staying at the mansion, but it was big and Shane was right. Sometimes if felt like a hotel and staying there for a prolonged period of time was just odd. Tony was looking forward to when he could go home to a place where it was just Shane and him. And that would be soon. Shane was recovering and his mother was planning on moving in with Rose and Rich in about two weeks. This gave Shane no chance at all to try and get out of living with him.

     Tony arrived at the mansion and immediately went to Shane’s room. All of his friends, including Jared, had sent messages saying Shane had a bad day and because of that Tony had been desperate to leave work early, but he hadn’t been able to and instead ended up leaving later than usual. He very nearly beat the shit out of his supervisor. And then he had spent every chance he could trying to call Shane, but the brat never answered his calls or texts.

     Shane wasn’t immediately visible when he walked into the room, but he heard a sound and followed it, only to stop short seeing Shane sitting on the floor beside the dresser and leaning against the wall with his head down. “Shane?”

     Shane ducked his head further and dashed the back of his hand across his eyes. Tony got the feeling he wanted to shrink in on himself or disappear into the wall. Dropping to his knees in front of him, Tony leaned forward and grabbed the back of his boyfriend’s head, pulling him. Shane’s arms automatically latched around his neck. As he pulled Shane to him, he saw watery blue eyes filled with such heartbreaking emotion. Pain, sadness, fear, shock… “Shane,” he murmured.

     Tony held him close as Shane’s silent tears continued to flow. Tony had thought Shane took what happened to him pretty well, which should have had large flashing red lights going off in his head. But at the time he had only felt relieved that Shane had survived. He’d only been intent on having revenge. He should have paid more attention. Of course Shane would have a meltdown. Someone had tried to kill him and almost exceeded. Someone had tried to kill him and he hadn’t even done anything to deserve it. Some people may say no one ever deserved to be killed, but Tony knew better now. He _knew_ better.

     “I-I’m not…I can’t—Tony,” Shane whispered in a trembling voice, half in defense and embarrassment and Tony knew he was trying to excuse and defend his behavior.

     “No, baby.” Tony tightened his grip because Shane started to pull away. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”

     Shane’s arms tightened around him and Tony was prepared to sit there on the floor holding his boyfriend forever if that’s what it took to make things right in Shane. Though he knew it was going to take a lot more than just sitting there, and it was definitely going to take time.

 

* * *

 

 The following week wasn’t any better and Tony was really getting worried. Shane did get up and go to school daily and was able to function, but he seemed to become introverted. With almost everyone. Though he remained the same with Tony for the most part, in that he didn’t pull away from the older man, but even then something wasn’t quite right and it killed Tony that he couldn’t immediately erase the mental damage the attack had done to his lover.      

     “I think… Maybe cutie should see a therapist,” Damien suggested one Saturday when it was just the two of them in Damien’s penthouse. Shane was home doing more schoolwork, Sheera and Caleb were working, and Mai was visiting her mom.

     “I don’t think-”

     “I think he should see Tabitha,” Damien went on before Tony could disagree on Shane’s behalf. “She’s taking new patients and has experience dealing with trauma victims.”

     Tony cocked a brow at his best friend. “Obviously.” Damien nodded. Tony sat back. “I don’t think he’ll agree to that, Damien. What he really needs to do is vent and if that doesn’t work, then we can think about professional therapy. He’s keeping his emotions over what happened locked up tight. Won’t even talk to me about it and I can’t get mad at him for that. Really… man, I really think he only needs to get angry and spit up everything he’s trying to push down.”

     “Well something needs to be done!” Damien whined. “Can’t stand to see cutie hurting!”

     “You think I do?!”

     “You should get mad at him. Force it out, Tony. Make him yell and lash out. Get him so mad he won’t be able to keep it in.” Then Damien grinned mischievously. “Bet he’s damn sexy when he’s ready to explode in anger.”

     Tony smirked. “He’s sexy all the time.”

     The blond looked at him closely then. “If that’s true then why aren’t you interested in sex with him now?”  

    Tony’s eyes narrowed in surprise and confusion. “What?”

     “Cutie said you won’t have sex with him anymore. That you treat him like he’s a piece of infected glass. I really think that’s part of the problem. He’s healed, you know. It’s not like sex is going to hurt him. It’s got to bother him that everyone treats him differently. Even I can admit I’ve been doing it.”

     “I don’t mean to. It just happens,” Tony mumbled. “It’s fucked up. Every time I touch him all I can think about is him lying on the floor, bleeding and dying. And I’m just sitting there letting it happen…”

     They lapsed into silence and Tony watched Damien move into the kitchen to pull two sodas out from the fridge. “Heard from Jared?” he finally asked.

     “This morning. Bastard purposely woke me up at four for a chat!”

       Tony snorted. “Remember the time difference.”

       “IT WAS FOUR IN THE FUCKING MORNING!”

       Tony refrained from laughing aloud. “Shane told me about the two of you, in the kitchen the day before Jared left…” Damien coughed. “Did you let him stay over that night?” the blond nodded. “In your room?” he nodded again. “Unbelievable.”

     “He’s a brute!” Damien finally burst out, unable to keep the laughter from his eyes. “Won’t take no for an answer! Always going on and on about how personal it is between us.”

     Tony smiled. “This will be good for you, Damien.”

       “We’ll see. Oh!” Damien smiled brightly and clapped his hands. “There’s a party coming up. Lots of important people will be there. You gotta come and bring Shane.”

     The brunet groaned. “You know how I hate those things.”

     “It’s not till the end of the month. Two weeks. Jared will be back by then hopefully. You’ll have plenty of time to prepare. You’re coming, Tony. The end.”       

     Tony shook his head. “Shane’s not going to be up for that.”

     Damien deflated. That was true, especially with the way he was right now. But, if Damien was anything he was convincing. “Listen, I think you need therapy too.”

     “Dude, I’m fine. Not jumping on that bandwagon.”

     “I’m not talking about seeing a therapist.”

     “Not getting you.”

     Damien turned away to go to his room. “I’m going to the Sage. And you’re coming with me.”

     “I don’t want to go there,” Tony growled.

     “Exactly!” Damien called back.

       Twenty minutes later, Tony found himself standing just inside the Sage Haze glaring hard at his best friend’s back. He was unsure how Damien had managed to get him to come, or even how the blond had gotten him into the car. Tony was about to turn around and leave when he noticed the dance floor was no longer there. Now it was just a slab of dented concrete.

     “What happened to the floor?” he asked, finally moving in and following Damien who stood dead center of the concrete.

       “I may have thrown an itsy bitsy tantrum and attacked the floor with a sledge hammer and then I just kept going and going… Jared let me until I tried destroying more than the dance floor.” Damien turned to look at him. “At the time I seriously thought about burning the place down. Guess it was a good thing Jared was there to stop me.”

     “How’s this supposed to do me any good?”

     “Stand there and call Shane,” the blond instructed as he headed for the stairs. “I need to make a few calls myself. Make sure the contractors are coming tomorrow...”

     Tony gritted his teeth when he was suddenly left alone, glaring at the door that Damien had disappeared behind. Finally he sighed and pulled out his phone to call Shane. It always pleased him when Shane picked up immediately.

     _“Hey.”_

     “Brat.”

     _“Asshole.”_

     Tony relaxed. There’d been a smile in Shane’s reply. “What are you up to?”

     _“Just got back from a jog around the grounds…. It feels good, muscles are burning.”_

     Tony stamped down on the urge to tell Shane not to push it. He didn’t say it because Shane was sounding better than he had in a while. “So I guess that means you’re all sweaty now, huh?” he asked as he made himself stare at the floor. A smile curved his lips when Shane laughed softly, his tone taking on a sexy lilt.

     _“Wish you were here?”_

     Tony couldn’t see Shane on the floor anymore. All he could think about was the breathy voice tickling his ear. Tony turned around and headed for the VIP booth and slid in it. He debated on what to say, and he must have taken too long to answer because Shane spoke before he could and when the brat spoke again, his voice was flat all around. _“Yelled at mom earlier. Or I guess we got into an argument. I don’t know…”_

     God, Shane sounded defeated. “About what?”

     _“She says… She said I’m keeping things in and it’s not healthy.”_

     Tony silently cheered Miss D. “She’s right.”

     _“I don’t see how, man. I talk to you.”_

     Tony closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. He hadn’t wanted to get in this argument over the phone. “You haven’t come right out and said exactly what’s bothering you-”

     _“Do I even need to? What the fuck do you think is bothering me? Some psycho dickhole tried to have me killed! FOR SOMETHING AS STUPID AS A TRACK POSITION! What the FUCK, Tony?!”_

     Tony thought this was progress. Shane sounded furious already. “Damien suggested—and I kind of agree… maybe you should go to counseling. After what happened-” the phone went dead. Tony put his phone away. He’d half expected that. Which is why he’d brought it up. By the time he saw Shane again, the brat was going to be seething mad at him for having suggested such a thing.

     “Need a ride?”

     Tony nodded and then frowned. “Thought you had calls to make.”

     Damien smirked and shrugged. “Not like there was much to say. Be here at this time or you don’t get paid. Simple as that.”

     “Anyway, let’s go,” Tony said as he stood. “He started yelling at me.”

     “Good, good,” Damien laughed while rubbing his hands together. “Cutie’s on the way to recovery.”      

      

* * *

 

 As Tony had predicted, Shane was practically foaming at the mouth when he next saw him. Shane started in on him about suggesting going to therapy, stating there was nothing wrong with his fucking mind. Tony purposely said the meanest things he could think of and had to steal himself against the unconscious flinches he saw in response to his words. It was the hardest thing he’d had to do, but they were making progress. It was painful for both of them, but Tony knew they’d both come out of this feeling worlds better.

     And then the dam broke and Shane started screaming at him, yelling at the top of his lungs that it wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair he couldn’t walk through school or down a street without constantly looking over his shoulder. It wasn’t fair that he went to practice every day feeling like he didn’t have the right to be there.

       Shane continued to shout in a hoarse voice, stating that it was fucked up that he left Freemon only to come to a place that seemed worse. He’d almost been raped in Freemon but at least there he hadn’t almost been fucking killed. Tony stepped back at that one, not only from the shock and torment that statement had brought, but also because Shane had picked up a glass vase and threw it at the wall with a watery frustrated cry.

     “And I’m tired of people looking at me with pity and talking softly! I’m fucking alive! I don’t want that pity! And you,” Shane’s voice suddenly dropped and broke. “Y-you don’t even look at me the same. It’s like you t-turn off every time you look at me. I can’t fucking stand it,” Shane dropped to his knees and stared at the floor beneath him. “I can’t stand it.”

     Tony’s hands were shaking as he shook his head in denial of what Shane had said, but Shane wasn’t looking at him. Shane was staring at his own shaking hands, watching the unchecked tears falling on his pale skin.

     “I hate this.”

     The softly spoken words moved Tony into action and he was crouched in front of Shane in an instant, reaching for his boyfriend. But Shane slapped his hands off, stood, and backed away from him.

     “Don’t want your pity either.”

     Tony stood on shaking legs. Shane was staring at him. Glaring more like and Tony made sure the brat could see exactly what he was feeling by the look in his eyes. Shane’s glare slipped. Tony was on him in the next second, roughly grabbing a hand full of Shane’s hair and yanking until Shane’s face was tilted up to his. Tony stalked Shane back until the brat was pushed roughly against the edge of the vanity dresser.

     “I don’t pity you,” Tony said lowly. “I’m just so glad you’re fucking alive.”

     “If you’re so glad,” Shane whispered back, standing there with his arms hanging limply at his sides, “then why do you keep away from me. _You_ put up the barrier.”

     “You don’t know what it was like for me; to kneel there and watch you dying and I couldn’t do anything. I was useless…You almost died. I almost died, Shane.”

     Tony’s fingers slipped further into his hair, bringing Shane against him, pressing Shane’s head against his chest. Finally Shane moved, wrapping arms around him tightly, maybe finally understanding Tony’s feelings in all this. When Shane lifted his head, eyes damp and mouth seeking, Tony crushed his lips against Shane’s and dived in when the brat gasped. Tony groaned when Shane responded after only a moment of shock. Tony kissed Shane deeply, urgently, with more fire than he had before the attack. When he slid a hand inside Shane’s jeans to cup that perfect ass and Shane moaned, Tony dragged his boyfriend over to the bed and then fell over Shane grinding the painful erection he now had against Shane’s.

     “Oh God,” Shane moaned, lifting his hips. “Feels good, Tony…”

     “Does this feel like I’m turned off?” Shane laughed and shook his head before dragging Tony down for another kiss.

     Beyond the closed bedroom door, Damien stood there listening for a few minutes. He smirked upon hearing the obvious sounds of clothes being hurriedly removed; at the moans and groans issuing from the room amidst the ‘stupid asshole’ and ‘fucking brat’s’.

     Damien smiled in relief as he walked away. He’d always heard angry sex was the best.


	20. Episode Twenty

Shane sat on the edge of the bed, grinning like a fool. Two weeks had passed since his ‘breakdown’. He didn’t like thinking of that word, but it was exactly what had happened. And, it was exactly what he needed and he expected what Tony needed to, though the older man hadn’t known it until after it happened. He was still skittish around crowds, but it didn’t make him mad anymore. And now he wasn’t upset every time he went to track practice. Since being back, he’d developed a nice routine like he had before. It also helped that no one talked about Hudson. Shane didn’t go out of his way to find out why people were going around as if Kenny Hudson never existed. But it was really strange, especially since his name had been all over the news the other day.

     Hudson had finally been found by his father. But even before that it was discovered by the police that Hudson was part of the Sevens; the leader of the gang. The police had been all over that gang shooting. Only because the murders- and this was what the reporters were saying- the murders were obviously professional hits and therefore the speculation was that the Sevens had finally messed with the wrong people. Which was absolutely true. But Shane didn’t much care about that since it was clear the authorities had no idea who the ‘wrong people’ were. Jared made sure of that.

     Shane was trying to move beyond it. He knew he wasn’t at fault since he’d never done anything to Hudson. That guy was dead because he’d made a bad decision. Damien had warned him. And Hudson had been around long enough to know Shrods don’t bullshit. It was Hudson’s own fault for not taking Damien seriously. So Shane didn’t really feel guilty anymore and that helped a lot with how he’d been feeling, how he was coping. Being free of that guilt did wonders to help with accepting and moving on from this.

     And he made the initiative. To Tony’s surprise and Damien’s elation, Shane had agreed to go to this gala thing taking place the following evening. Shane was always up for new things and he’d never been to a function like that. Plus he wanted to get this fear of crowds out of his system and he definitely wanted to go because he’d get to see Tony all dressed up in a tuxedo. And Tony had finally agreed to go- after a lot of moaning and groaning and coming. Shane had enjoyed that session of persuading and he was pretty sure Tony had as well.

     Shane finally climbed to his feet. But none of that was the reason why he was grinning at the moment. He was grinning because at the moment he was staring into Tony’s open closet. The brunet’s clothes had been pushed over to one side, allowing room for Shane’s clothes. And on the floor were Shane’s shoes lined up next to Tony’s. Though the brunet was back to complaining about Shane not having all that much in clothes and shoes and other things to bring in to clutter the place and had gone back to calling him a monk. Shane would probably have more clothes by the end of the night. His mother had insisted on taking him shopping and no matter how hard he tried to dissuade her, she would not give in which meant she was hell bent on spending money on him. Buying him things he didn’t need. Going back to treating him like a little boy. Nothing short of leaving the country could save him from his mother’s need to buy him stuff.

     Living with Tony had been awkward at first because Shane had been frightened that he wouldn’t like it. He’d made it awkward. Shane didn’t like living with Sheera and her parents and he loved them something fierce, so it was logical for him to assume he wouldn’t like living with Tony. And his need for independence also fueled this worry. But after a week and both his and Tony’s determination to make this work, Shane realized it was going to work. It would work because they both wanted it. And living with Tony was… sweet! He couldn’t think of another exclamation to describe it.

     “Shane, your mom’s here,” Tony called from the living room. Shane groaned even as his cheeks flushed. He was hoping Tony would be gone to work by the time his mom arrived. Tony then leaned into the bedroom with an infuriating smirk on his face. “Taking you shopping?” he took in Shane’s flush and the eyes avoiding him and grinned. Shane really had no idea how cute he was when embarrassed. “Baby, don’t be embarrassed just ‘cause your mom wants to take you shopping like you’re still in junior high.”

     Shane stopped avoiding Tony’s gaze and glared at him. “Shut up, dude!”

   Tony flashed a smile before disappearing back into the hall. Shane hurried to the bedside table and opened the drawer to pull out a switchblade. He stared at it in his palm. Eyes wavering. Shane had talked to Jared last week over the phone. It was at the insistence of Damien and Tony that he talk to the British spy. Shane had known it was about his breakdown and had grabbed the phone in annoyance. But the conversation with Jared was refreshing. The guy got straight to the point. Speaking bluntly as he always did. Told Shane to start carrying a knife around with him. It may alleviate some of his worry of crowds. Jared had also said since Shane knew what it was like to be stabbed, he wouldn’t have pause to use it on someone if he were ever attacked again. Shane had some problem with that logic, but he followed Jared’s advice anyway. Jared said he had battle scars now, he should be proud that he’d fought death and he had every right to defend himself with the same kind of weapon that had caused his scars.

    Shane snorted as he slid the knife into his back pocket. Jared was fucked up a little. But still Shane acknowledged Jared was trying to help him in his own way.

       “Shane! C’mon, man! Stop hiding!”

       “SHUT. UP. TONY!”

       Tony was leaning against the counter, sharing a laugh with his mother when he finally did appear. Shane rolled his eyes. They were teaming up on him again. Great. “Ready,” he announced.

     “Good. Lots of places to go in such a short time,” Daisy replied with a parting smile at Tony. Shane groaned.

     “Mom, we don’t need-” Daisy was already out of the door and he was sure even if she had heard him, she would have ignored whatever he would say. As usual. “Man.”

     Tony pushed off the counter with a smirk. “Stop bitching and enjoy yourself.” He hooked a finger under the hem of Shane’s t-shirt. “Don’t think your mom likes you living like a monk either.”

     “Staying late again tonight?” Shane asked as he was pulled against Tony, frowning over the fact Tony had put in for a lot of overtime recently.

     “Yeah. Don’t worry about it. Just for a couple more weeks, okay?” Shane nodded. “Have fun with your mom. Going to Sheera’s after, aren’t you? For dinner.”

       “That’s what mom says.”

       Tony dipped his head down, brushing lips against Shane’s. “Bring me back a plate.”

       “Kay. Anything else?”

       Tony got this look in his eyes that made Shane grin. And he didn’t need the following heated kiss to clue him into exactly what Tony was expecting when he got off of work. When he was finally released, Shane stumbled out of the apartment with a dopey smile.

    

* * *

 

 Shane followed his mother down to the parking lot and to the car she had rented while in town. His mother had gone to stay with Aunt Rose and Uncle Rich the same day Shane moved in with Tony, and she hadn’t spoken about when she planned to return to Freemon. Shane had a small suspicion that she didn’t plan to go back at all. And that really didn’t bother him. She was in Freemon alone now that he was in Allmsted.

     But whatever her plans, he would like to know one way or the other. And if she were staying, maybe he could help her find a place. “Mom, are you staying here?”

     Daisy didn’t answer until she’d directed the car out of the parking lot. “Where, dear?”

     “Allmsted.”

     “I… don’t know,” then she laughed. “No, of course not. I wouldn’t want to be a hurdle in your race for freedom.”

     “The only way I’d be against the idea is if you tried to make me live with you,” Shane replied with a grin. “And to tell you the truth, I worry about you. Living alone in Freemon. Here you have Aunt Rose and me… you should think about it. I’m never moving back to Freemon.”

     “Well… I have been thinking about it. In fact, your aunt and uncle have been hinting the same as you.”

     “It’s a good idea.” Shane shrugged. “But it’s up to you.”

     They were mostly silent after that, talking once in a while, Daisy asking Shane to direct her to the nearest shopping mall. Once there and parked, she asked what she’d been dying to ask for the past week. “How are you getting on with Tony? Living with him?”

     “It’s good. Great,” he laughed as he brushed strands of dark blond hair away from his eyes.

     “That apartment seems a little small for two people. And you don’t seem to have any personal items lying around…”

     “I’ve only been living there two weeks. Didn’t have much stuff to begin with. Anyway, Tony’s lease is up after the New Year. We’ve decided if this works out, living together, then we’ll go find a new place. Some place bigger. By then I’ll be working again.”

     “That’s a good idea, baby.” Daisy smiled at him.

     Shane scrubbed the back of his neck, watching his mom from the corner of his eye. “Um, Mom?” Daisy paused in her steps and turned to face him. “Thanks… for being so understanding. About Tony and me. You’re amazing.”

     Daisy smiled. “You love who you love, and I can tell you really love him. Though don’t get me wrong. If I didn’t like Tony, I would put up a fight. Make no mistake. But he’s a nice young man.”

     Shane smiled brightly at that and opened the shopping mall door for her.

 

* * *

 

         Back seat and trunk loaded with purchases- most of which Shane had tried to get his mom not to buy- the two made their way to the Target residence. Shane couldn’t help but notice how relaxed his mother had been all day and how she smiled a lot more. He realized she’d never been happy in Freemon either. He wondered, not for the first time, if he were the only reason why they’d stayed in Freemon after his father left them. He thought… well knowing his mom, she probably hadn’t wanted to pick up and move while he was still in school. Freemon didn’t hold a lot of good memories for either of them. And though Allmsted had some bad memories already, the important people now in his life outweighed those.

     As soon as they pulled up outside of the house, Daisy turned to him with a nervous smile, “Shane, I…”

     Shane waited for her to go on, but she just shook her head and quickly climbed from the car and sped walked to the house. “Weird,” he murmured as he got out. His mom was already nearing the front door of the house before he’d even shut the car door.

     Shane walked into the house and was greeted by Sheera, who immediately pulled him into the kitchen where his aunt and uncle were. Both quickly pulled him into a conversation and before he knew it, nearly an hour had gone by.

     Shane was heading back into the living room to talk to Sheera and to find where his mom had gone when he passed the dining room. He paused and stuck his head in to make sure he hadn’t miscounted. “Why’s there only four place settings? Five of us are eating.” Turning he caught the quick look his aunt and uncle shared. “What?”

       Rose smiled at him and quickly turned away to check on whatever was in the oven. Rich cleared his throat and muttered something about his study and papers. Shane frowned. He was missing something. Turning, Shane headed into the living room where Sheera was sprawled on the couch watching TV. Some fashion show. Blah. “What’s going on? Your mom and dad are acting funny. Mom was acting weird too when we got here…” and it was then he wondered where she’d hurried off to. “Where’d she go anyway?”

     Sheera pulled her eyes away from the television and smirked at him. Now he knew something was going on. Before he could demand an answer, the doorbell rang. Sheera jumped from the couch. “I’ll get it!”

     Shane stood back and watched her practically skip to the door. What the fuck? She smirked at him again right before opening the door and quickly inviting the visitor in.

     “Mr. Shrod?” he questioned. Damien’s father accepted the kiss on his cheek from Sheera, gave her a fond pat on her cheek and then turned to Shane as Sheera shut the door. “Uh, hey,” he greeted. Mr. Shrod was absolutely the last person he ever expected to see there.

     Shrod chuckled as he approached. “So you weren’t told, then? I’m assuming this because you look surprised to see me.”

     “Told what?”

     “I’ll go and get Aunt Daisy for you,” Sheera whispered before taking up the stairs.

     “You’re here for mom?”

     “We’re going to dinner.”

     “Um... you mean as a date?” Shrod nodded, finding Shane’s shock very amusing. “You’re taking my mom out on a date,” he murmured.

     “Yes. Do you have objections?”

     “Well yeah!” Shane exclaimed immediately before he thought about it. “I mean…” Okay so this was Damien’s dad, but he was also Shane’s boss and Tony’s boss and a freaking world mogul. A very influential man. And he had cold-blooded killers under his thumb. But Shrod had also opened up his home to him and his mother. All his friends loved the old man. He doted on his son… But the thought of his mother going out on an actual date was just plain weird. And with Shrod of all people. But it really had nothing to do with Shrod either. His mother hadn’t dated anyone since his bastard father. It was only natural for him to feel against this and worry. Right? “It’s weird,” was all he could finally say. “And nobody opened their mouths to tell me about it.”

     “I didn’t think they would keep it secret,” Shrod answered, looking around for the other inhabitants of the Target home.

     Shane stuttered out something and quickly excused himself to the kitchen. “Mom’s going out on a date with Damien’s dad? Aunt Rose! Why didn’t you say?”

       Rose slowly turned from the counter where she’d been working on the salad and gave him a little smile. “It’s only dinner, dear. And your mom could use some fun… Daisy didn’t want to say anything, afraid of your reaction.”

     “Man,” Shane moaned in annoyance, his hands going up to tug on his hair, “my reaction would probably have been better had I been told _before_ Shrod got here!”

     In the living room, Shane heard Shrod amicably talking with his uncle and Sheera. He turned away from his aunt and jerked his phone out of his pocket, immediately dialing Damien’s number.

     “ _You know who you called. Speak.”_

“Your dad’s taking my mom out on a date! Tonight. Right now!”

     There was a moment of absolute silence and then, _“WHAT?!”_

Shane was nodding his head rapidly, even though Damien couldn’t see him. It was sort of a relief to hear that Damien hadn’t known what was going on either. “Yeah! A date! Our parents!”

     _“NO WAY!”_

Shane was interrupted from going on when his mother appeared in front of him, looking worried. “Gotta go, Damien.” Shane disconnected the call and focused on his mother.

     She was wearing makeup and it was slightly different than her normal colors, though it was still tastefully done and matched her attire. She wore a dress of aquamarine; it was a really fancy dress that flowed down to her feet. And she’d let her hair down. It was a rare occasion when his mother left her long hair down.

     “Wow, Mom. You look great!” he gushed honestly, now realizing that Sheera must have helped his mom get ready after she’d gotten Uncle Rich and Aunt Rose to distract him. Freaking Sheera.

     Daisy smiled and patted her hair. “Really?”

     “Yeah, absolutely!” Shane took in her excited nervous features. “I want details when it’s over.”

     “Thank you, baby.” Daisy moved forward and gave him a hug. As she pulled away, Shane felt her press a kiss to his cheek.

     “And you have to be home by ten!” he yelled. Laughter from everyone in the house was his only response. He mentally scowled at them all.

     Shane didn’t leave the kitchen until he was sure his mom and Shrod had left. Shane visually scowled when Sheera laughed at his petulant expression. “You should be happy, Shane. If Aunt Daisy starts dating again, she won’t have so much time to smother you.”

     “You could’ve told me.”

     “And miss the look on your face?” Sheera snorted at the thought.

     “And who says she’s going to start dating? This is just one date! One,” he replied vehemently. “Not like it’s going to happen again. They have nothing in common. We’re talking two different worlds here, She. This will not last.”

     “Hate to break it to you, but if they had nothing in common Shrod would never have asked Daisy out and she would never have agreed to go. You know your mom better than that.”

     “I hate you.”

     “Dinner time!” Rose called from the kitchen.

     “C’mon, Shane. Let’s grab some food and then you can rant some more. Your rants are always hilariously gay. Another reason why I should’ve figured you were queer a long time ago.”

     “Bitch.”

     They were just settling down to eat when Shane heard the distinctive sound of squealing tires. A minute later someone was pressing on the doorbell without a let up. The family eyed each other a moment before Rich finally chuckled. “Better let him in before he loses patience and kicks down the door.”

     Sheera went to answer the door while Rose stood and began to set another place setting for their visitor. She had just finished when Sheera returned with Damien.

       “Ooh! Yum! I love your Chicken Kiev, Rosie!” Damien immediately said upon seeing the dinner set on the table. The blond, who apparently was going for the shaggy hair look now, skirted around the table to the empty setting between Shane and Sheera.

     “Didn’t think you were going to come here just from a few worded conversation,” Shane laughed.

     “Are you kidding me? How could I not?” then he paused and flashed a smile at the couple across from him. “Sorry for barging in.”

     “Damien you know you’re welcome any time… before midnight,” Rich said with a laugh.

     “But seriously,” Shane went on, “I thought you were glued to your apartment. Isn’t Jared coming back tonight sometime?”

     “Got a call from him too. Apparently not,” the blond murmured, his eyes glued onto the food dishes as he piled food onto his plate.

       Sheera rubbed his arm. “He’ll be back soon, sweetie.”

     Damien was silent for a moment, savoring Rose’s splendid chicken, before finally bursting out with, “do you think he’ll like my hair?”

    

      

* * *

 

 When Tony came home, not only was he surprised to find Shane still awake and sitting completely still on the couch, but also Damien was there beside him with the same unfocused shocked look on his face.

       “Baby? Damien? Did you two do something you’ll regret forever? Something that I’ll have to kill you over?”

     “Your sense of humor sucks,” Shane murmured.

     “Who’s joking?” he got a glare for that. “So what the fuck happened? Why do you two look… weirded out?” Tony asked as he sat in between the two, throwing an arm around his boyfriend’s shoulders and looking at Damien. The expression on their faces was actually kind of funny. Looked like someone slipped them stupid pills.

     “Mom went on a date tonight. She had a great time. She’s going out with him again.”

     “Daddy went on a date tonight. Says he’s taking her out again. Says he can’t remember the last time he enjoyed himself so much.”

       Tony’s mouth parted in surprise when he instantly put two and two together. He bolted from the couch and turned to face them. Both Shane and Damien looked up at him with those same vacant stupid expressions. And then he was pointing at their faces and laughing. The stupid looks were instantly replaced with glares. Tony continued to laugh as he left them to go into the kitchen where a plate was left for him on the counter.

     “It’s not funny, asshole!”

     “Hell yeah it is! Your faces especially. And come on, what’s the worst that can happen? You two ending up stepbrothers…” he chuckled at the thought.

     “This spells disaster, you stupid brute!”

     Shane huffed and stood. “Going to study.”

     Tony watched him walk down the hall to the bedroom with a quirk of his lip. Damien walked into the kitchen. “Really? What is the worst thing that can happen? It’s just a date… or two.”

     Damien was silent a moment, watching Tony cut up his dinner. “Suppose so. And Miss D will eventually go back to Freemon. So it’s just a date.”

     “Right. Just like I told you—get away from my dinner,” Tony said as he grabbed the plate and took it to the small round table. Damien pouted and followed him.

     “So how’s the domesticated living?”

     Tony snorted. “It’s not domesticated and it’s fine. Shane still goes on about not being able to pay rent and because of that he can’t really relax completely. And I pressured him into this. Practically bullied him through the door. So if this thing blows up, it’ll be my fault completely.”

     “Well yeah, but you’re grinning which tells me you don’t think this thing is going to blow up.”

     Tony pulled his eyes away from the hallway. “Nope.”

     “Did you ask off of work for winter break yet?”

     Tony slapped away the hand inching towards the fork lying on the plate. “Yeah. Part of the reason why I’m putting in for some overtime. Don’t want you paying for every little thing like you usually—didn’t you eat already, dude? Leave my shit alone.”

     “But that looks like Rosie’s Chicken Kiev! I haven’t had it in so long. Please let me have a bite.”

     “Didn’t you bring Shane back from there?” Damien shook his head, widening his eyes, pleading for a bite. Tony sighed. “Fine, here.” He shoved the plate over.

     Damien wiggled his ass around in happiness before digging into Tony’s dinner. “Anyway, you know I don’t mind paying for everyone. I like spending my money on you guys.”

     “I know Damien, and we love it when you spend money on us,” Tony answered with a smirk. “But I still want some spending cash to be from my own bank.”

     “This is Shane’s influence. Filling your head with independent nonsense,” Damien said with a laugh. “Have you told him yet?”

     “Not yet.”

       “You should tell him about the trip. Bet he’ll be excited. It’ll be good for him too.”

     “What makes you think he’ll want to go?”

     “Hun, _he_ convinced _you_ to go to the gala tomorrow night. Of course he’s going to be excited to go to the winter resort.”

       Tony cleared his throat, remembering just how Shane had persuaded him. “He’s almost back to normal.”

       Damien nodded even as his eyes turned sad. “He’s resilient. I wish… I was like cutie. I wouldn’t be so fucked up now.”

     Tony draped an arm around his best friend’s shoulders. “You were always fucked up. And besides, if you were like Shane, you wouldn’t be you and we all love you the way you are.”

      “Hey, Tony—Damien! Why’re you eating Tony’s dinner?” the two looked over to find Shane walking into the living room. “Damien! You gorged yourself on chicken at the house! Get off Tony’s shit!”

       Tony narrowed his eyes as they returned to the blond liar. Damien was already moving away towards the door, waving cheerfully. “Gotta go!” he cried. “See you two tomorrow night. Fashionably late!”


	21. Episode Twenty-One

A flute of champagne in hand, Damien made the obligatory rounds amongst the crowds within the largest ballroom of The Carlyle. A lavish expensive hotel in the city centre of Allmsted; a place where many gatherings such as this took place and a place Damien absolutely adored.

     He usually adored these gatherings as well. And he’d been looking forward to this one, only because he’d have Jared by him and this time the two of them wouldn’t have been shooting glares at each other- or more truthfully, Damien shooting glares and pretending he hated the bastard.

     A charming yet completely fake smile adorned his face as he mingled, and the only time the fabricated smile morphed into a genuine one was when he spotted one of his friends. His best friends usually came to these things whenever a gala was held. The girls attended because they wanted to and had fun. Damien never had any trouble getting the girls to immediately agree.

     At first, Tony and Caleb hadn’t liked it, stating it wasn’t their thing and the first one made them feel out of their element. But after a couple- because Damien always got what he wanted, and he’d wanted their attendance- the boys knew how to navigate the galas. Now they knew whom to stay away from so as not to start a fight, and knew exactly how to make their own fun when it was beginning to get too stuffy. It was one of the reasons why Damien wasn’t dead tired from attending all these business and political soirées. His friends kept things interesting without fail.

     And now Shane had joined and he was going around with big blue eyes taking everything in like a puppy that’d just been brought home from the pound. He was the cutest thing! Though he tended to stay near the edges of the crowds, hanging around the walls mostly. But that wasn’t unexpected. He seemed better than he had two weeks prior and Damien had been surprised to learn Shane convinced Tony to come this time. Damien chuckled into his champagne. And Shane looked mighty fine in his tuxedo. Tony couldn’t keep his eyes off his boyfriend, and it was only a matter of time before Tony dragged Shane off to somewhere more private.

     Someone else of interest had been invited to this thing as well. Jake Strathom. Damien had been unaware he had been invited, but since Jake was shooting up in the world with two new stores open, he should have expected it. These galas weren’t strictly for those doing business with Shrod Group. Most of the extremely successful entrepreneurs were here as well. It was a way for Daddy to see and hear more about what was going on within the city and beyond.

     Damien politely excused himself from the Mayor when he spotted Jake across the room. As he quickly and purposefully made his way over, his sharp blue eyes searched the room for Sheera. Had She spotted Jake yet? If so then she probably escaped to the second level balcony and planned to stay there the entire evening. “Jake!” The man turned and upon recognizing him, gave him a drop dead gorgeous smile. “Oh, if only you were gay,” he mourned playfully.

     Jake laughed. “It really pains me that I have to disappoint you time and again.”

     Damien sighed dramatically. “Don’t worry. I’ll get over it eventually. But listen, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

     “Ask away.”

     “You like skiing right? And hiking, and all of that stuff that requires too much energy and sweating? Though don’t get me wrong, I love taking on the slopes, but still…”

     Jake laughed again. Damien had scrunched up his nose at the thought of being over worked. “Yes. I do.”

     “Good! We’re going away for Christmas and I thought you would like to join us!” Damien fished a hand into the inner pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a card. “My personal number,” he said handing it over. “When you’ve decided to join us, just give me a call, okay?”

     “Whoa, hold on. Away where? And with whom? And when?”

     Damien hid a smirk by taking a sip from his champagne before answering. “Christmas break. First day school lets out. Shrod Resorts At Snohomish. Jared, Tony, Caleb, Shane, Mai, myself, and Sheera of course. Daddy may come as well. You don’t have to agree right now,” Damien went on, though there was already a clearly calculating look in Jake’s eyes. “Just give it some thought.”

     “That’s a mighty fine invitation, Damien. What did I do to deserve it?”

     “That’s a ridiculous question, sweetie! You’re responsible for three quarters of my wardrobe! By the way, the Tuduxki collection… to die for!”

     Jake nodded. “It’s one of my favorites. Sheera thinks its crap.”

     Damien thought it very telling the man mentioned Sheera’s opinion. Why would he do that if he saw her only as a lowly employee? “Sheera’s a bitch,” he replied with a laugh. “And she probably only said that just to piss you off. I know how you two work. Speaking of She, have you seen her tonight? She’s around somewhere.”

     “No, I wasn’t aware she was here.”

     “Try the upper level balcony,” Damien suggested with a wink. “Now I’ve got to run and mingle or Daddy will threaten allowance reduction again.”

     Jake laughed as they separated. Soon Damien’s happy smile was replaced by a cheap imitation as he once again thought about Jared and how the bastard was supposed to have returned by now. From reports he knew Jared had been very successful with the merger and the business end of that deal was closed. And then he’d been in London dealing with their overseas corporate lawyers, but that shouldn’t have kept him there beyond the limit. The last time they spoke, Jared hadn’t even given any kind of excuse as to why he had been unable to return the night before and Damien had been furious and yelled all kind of furious things through the phone. He’d probably pissed Jared off, if the hanging up on him was any indication.

     Damien moved across the room to the open doors leading into the garden adjacent to the ballroom. The nights were becoming colder and there weren’t as many people out here as inside. Damien found a bench up against the wall; relieved it was half shrouded by the shadow of a large potted bush. He sat down with a heavy sigh. Did Jared even miss him? Damien loathed admitting it, but he missed the bastard an indescribable amount.

     “Damien?”

     The blond looked up and smile half-heartedly at the woman looking down at him with worry. He lifted his hand and grabbed hers to pull her down next to him. “What’s wrong, sweetie?”

     “I miss him, Mai. It’s stupid…”

     Mai smiled softly. “It is not stupid.”

     “It’s… not smart. We’re to be business partners in the future,” he whispered. “Daddy’s making him co-head of the company with me. The relationship we have isn’t smart. What happens when it all falls to hell and I have to see him every day? I wouldn’t be able to cope with that. If I let this go on and something happens…”

     Mai narrowed her almond shaped chocolate brown eyes. “You’re afraid because of what he makes you feel. And that’s normal. But if you try to sabotage your relationship with him because of fear of the future, you will forever regret it.”

     Damien was silent a minute, staring out as the people entered and left the garden, finally he dropped his eyes to their joined hands, a soft smile on lips. “I hate him.”

     Mai attacked him with a bone-crushing hug. For a little oriental woman she sure was strong. “I’m sure he hates you too.”

     Damien met her eyes, looking so hopeful that she couldn’t help coo over that look. It was a new look for him.

 

* * *

 

 “Excuse me? I am not hiding up here,” Sheera hissed, scowling at the tall man lounging across her in one of the lavish patio seats.

     Caleb smirked. “Right, She. Sure. You only flew up here after we saw Strathom walking around.”

       “I wanted a smoke!” Sheera snapped, shoving said unlit cigarette up in Caleb’s face.

       “That’s your third since we’ve been up here.”

       “Why the hell is my boss here anyway?”

       “He’s got bling and his business is booming. All the uppers go to his shop. At least the men anyway.”

     Sheera snorted. “He needs to invest in different designers for the female lines. No one likes the shit he’s got in there now. If he would just invest in something different, something better, his stores would be five times more popular. And he’d get not just the rich men, but the women too.”

     “Why don’t you tell him?”

     “Cause Jake is a dick and would laugh at my suggestions,” Sheera said before lighting the cigarette that had been sitting unlit between her fingers for the last five minutes. “All kidding aside though, Jake’s been in the fashion business longer than I have. I don’t have the right or the experience to suggest something like that to him.”

     “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say something so mature before,” Jake said from behind her. Sheera very slowly lowered the cigarette from her lips and glared at Caleb, who was in the position to have seen Jake come up behind her.

     Caleb grinned a white-toothed grin and thought about vacating. But he thought that would be too mean since he’d already sat there knowing Jake had been standing behind her for a while. If he left now, Caleb knew she’d castrate him.

     Jake rounded the table and settled down beside Caleb. Sheera didn’t notice, but Caleb noticed Strathom’s subtle slide of his eyes as he checked Sheera out. “So this is why you asked for today off.”

     “Why are you here?” Sheera asked.

     “Invited. You don’t say no when you get an invite to these things. Speaking of being invited, Damien just invited me to some Christmas trip to one of his resorts.” Caleb flashed an amused grin while the smoke in Sheera’s mouth blasted past her lips. And then she gaped stupidly at him. “I’m assuming this trip is why you asked for the end of December and beginning of January off.”

     “He did what?” Sheera finally bit out.

     “He asked me to join you,” Jake replied smoothly as he crossed arms over his chest, seemingly ignorant to Sheera’s rising temper. “Haven’t decided if I’ll go. If we both go, it’ll be hard to find someone competent enough to run the store…”

     “You can’t go!”

     Jake’s arms dropped and he leaned forward suddenly, glaring at Sheera. “Who says? In fact, who says you can go? I haven’t given you the time off yet.”

     Sheera bolted to her feet and glared down at him. “Bastard,” she hissed before turning and storming away. Caleb knew she was cursing both Jake Strathom and Damien.

     “Hey man,” Caleb ventured when he saw the glare on Strathom’s face was fake. “I’m not trying to tell you your business or anything and you are her boss, so you have the last say, but… you are giving her the time off, right? This is tradition, man.”

     “Yeah, I know that. I remember she puts in for the same time every year and even though it’s inconvenient, I give it to her. Busiest time of the year,” he muttered. After a moment he shrugged and pulled out a card, staring at it. Caleb saw the print and recognized it as one of Damien’s personal business cards. Jake smirked. “But that’s why I have seasonal staff.”

     _Sheera’s going to be pissed_ , Caleb thought and then mentally laughed because he knew this was going to be fun to watch. Probably more fun than watching Damien break under Jared’s pressure.

     “You’re Caleb?”

       “Yeah, man.”

       Jake leaned over and offered his hand. “You’re the only one I don’t really know. The others I’ve met beyond the hospital. Your girlfriend comes into the store a lot. Figured I should get to know you too.”

     Caleb shook the man’s hand and shared a smirk with Strathom. “You better be sure and know what you’re doing.”

     “I’m a patient man.”

     “Yeah, guess you’d have to be.”

     Ten minutes later, Damien interrupted their talking when he skidded to a stop beside Caleb with his hand held out, “give me, give me, give me! And hurry the fuck up! She’s going to stab me with her high heel!” he whined as he looked over his shoulder, looking for the terror known as Sheera.

     “Alright, man. Calm down,” Caleb laughed as he reached deep down into his pocket. “You do know this is your fault, right?”

     Damien’s nose rose into the air. “Nothing is ever my fault!”

     “Riiight,” Caleb replied, dropping something into Damien’s hand. “Anyway, have you seen Tony or Shane?”

     “Nope. Gotta go! Bye Jake. If I die, know that I was only trying to help!” and then he was gone.

     Caleb laughed. “Which is why he’s going to die.”

 

* * *

 

 While Caleb was getting to know Jake Strathom, and finding he liked the guy, Shane was down below in the Ballroom having a blast in his observations. _Look at all these people with their noses in the air! Too funny!_ Shane silently laughed as he moved around the room, keeping close to the walls. He laughed outright when after a time he saw Damien practically running through the room with a furious Sheera close on his heels, hissing something at the blond’s back. She looked severely pissed off. _Wonder what that’s about._

     Shane was preparing to follow (at a safe distance) to find out what was going on when he spotted Tony walking towards him. Or rather stalking towards him. His green eyes sharp and darkened and hungry. Shane shivered. Tony looked so fucking gorgeous dressed up in all black with his hair slicked back away from his face for the night.

     Shane was walking towards him before he even realized he was doing it. And he smiled coyly when Tony reached for him and it was obvious the older man was barely restraining himself from immediately touching Shane all over. Instead he wrapped a firm, possessive arm around Shane’s shoulders and began leading his boyfriend out of the Ballroom. Shane laughed under his breath and moved forward a bit so that he could bump back into Tony’s chest. His breath caught when he felt Tony’s cock pressing into his ass.

     “I’ll take care of that for you.” Tony looked down at him. “Yeah, you let me take care of that now and when we get home I’ll let you bend me over any available surface and do what you really wish you could do right now. I’ll keep the suit on and everything.”

     They were already outside of the Ballroom and suddenly Tony had him pressed against the wall. “Let me do that now,” he said lowly. “I know a place.”

     “Man, this thing’s not even half way over. I don’t want to walk around with a dirty messy suit on. Just let me…” Shane trailed off, letting his gaze drop to Tony’s crotch and he licked his lips.

     Shane laughed again when he was jerked away from the wall, once again being pulled down the corridor, Tony murmuring about when they got home the stupid brat wouldn’t know what hit him. Shane couldn’t wait for it.

 

* * *

 

Damien raced out of the ballroom and headed for someplace quiet and Sheera-less. He quickly found the maintenance room he was well acquainted with and went inside. The room wasn’t really small. It had two rooms, and those were separated by a small ill-lit hallway. The room right beyond the door was full of metal shelves holding cleaning stuff and the like and beyond the room was the short hallway that led around a corner to a smaller room. As he headed to the back room, Damien pulled out the joint Caleb slipped to him and was in the process of sticking it between his lips when he heard the unmistakable sounds of heavy panting, groaning, and the sound of somebody sucking cock.

     Damien smiled evilly and slipped the joint back into his pocket, silently tip toeing into the short hallway. He loved interrupting people’s fun. Especially if it were someone he didn’t like. Or if it were someone having a sordid affair and then he’d gain blackmail, and blackmail was AWESOME! Creeping towards the corner, Damien swallowed down a giddy smile and poked his head around to see. He was instantly disappointed that there would be no blackmailing anyone. And neither would he have fun being able to interrupt. He couldn’t very well interrupt these two. They’d kill him. Especially after the phone vid episode. But beyond that, this was still entertaining. And it was two men, so that was a double bonus. Coming up on a man and woman would have probably made him vomit after he let them know they had been caught.

     Tony was perched on the edge of the worktable with his pants and boxers dropped around his ankles. His back was arched and head tipped back, mouth parted in ecstasy while Shane knelt between his legs, working the brunet’s cock with his mouth. Damien’s brow rose. Oh! And the tongue! Damien watched that tongue licking up and down Tony’s considerable size and then lingering on the head and circling it; Shane lapping up pre cum like a kitten. Damien shifted in his spot. This was incredibly hot!

     Tony shuddered and a strangled moan escaped his lips. Shane lifted his eyes and smiled wickedly around the brunet’s cock, obviously pleased with his boyfriend’s reactions. Tony’s hands suddenly flew into Shane’s hair, pulling and pushing Shane’s mouth up and down his cock. “Fuck, Shane! I’m close. So close...”

    In response, Shane’s hands lifted and slid up Tony’s muscled thighs while hollowing his mouth and taking the length of Tony in his mouth. Tony made a sort of choking sound at the back of his throat. Damien had about all he could take of watching. If he stayed any longer he may end up jacking off to this and as much as he liked watching them, he did not want to jack off watching his friends. And so he quickly and silently departed. Though he didn’t go far. He stood post right outside the door and waited. Ten minutes later the two left the room. Shane looking smug and Tony… well Tony’s eyes were still glazed after being given a fan-fucking-tastic blowjob. Shane’s face colored remarkably when Damien was finally noticed.

     “You missed a little something right here,” Damien said to him, pointing to his own chin.

     The freshman’s eyes widened comically and a hand shot up to dash across his chin. Damien laughed. “Just kidding, hun. You did a good job of swallowing every drop.”

     “Damien!”

     Tony made a sound at the back of his throat and grabbed Shane around the waist. “Always so fucking hot when you take it all,” the brunet whispered huskily before attacking that gorgeous sexy talented mouth. Shane jerked back seconds later, his face completely red now.

     “Tony!”

     Damien went back to cackling with glee at Shane’s embarrassment.

 

* * *

 

 The gala was ending, people were leaving and slowly making their way towards the doors. Damien stood with his father, bidding gracious farewells. Well Shrod was giving his own goodbyes. Damien was standing there not doing much of anything except pouting.

     “You were not your usual cheerful self tonight,” Shrod said from the corner of his mouth. Though he knew very well why his son had not enjoyed the evening as he usually might. Jared was still away.

     “Of course I was! I smiled and talked and mingled with our contacts, and I managed not to stab--” the words died upon his lips when he caught sight of a woman standing just beyond the Ballroom doors. She stood still like a statue, standing so that he could only see her profile while the guests of the evening moved by her on the way out. Damien felt the blood drain away from his face. The woman… she looked like his mother, except this woman had red hair and it was clearly dyed. Her face was slightly different too. Damien started breathing again. Maybe he was simply imagining things. This woman’s face wasn’t exactly the same. Perhaps she only looked so much like _that woman_ that he’d immediately thought it was her.

     _That woman-_ Marissa -was the star of a number of recurring horrifying nightmares of his past. Damien had a deep sense of fear of the woman who’d given birth to him and no one would say the fear was unfounded. Marissa was a cruel, vindictive, devious woman who always got what she wanted and never stopped until she had it. Half the reason why Damien was still in therapy had to do with her.

     “Son, I’m talking to you.”

     Damien shook his head and pulled his gaze away from the door and from that woman. “Sorry, Daddy.”

       Shrod studied his son’s face and was immediately worried. “Damien?”

       Damien looked back towards the door. The woman was gone now, disappeared with the rest of the crowds. The Ballroom was empty save for he and his father, the serving and cleaning staff, and some of the Shrod Security team. A chill was perpetually running up and down his spine as he continued to stare at the empty doorway. “I’m... I’m fine,” he murmured.

     “What did you see? Who?” Shrod demanded, knowing instantly his son was lying to him. Damien looked horror struck and way too pale.

     “M-Marissa. But it couldn’t have been her, could it? She can’t come near me, Daddy. Right?”

     “She wouldn’t dare,” Shrod growled, taking his son’s elbow and leading him away towards the upper balcony where he knew his son’s friends were waiting. On the way, Shrod pulled out his phone and made one short phone call. In seconds his people would surround the hotel and anyone looking like Marissa would immediately be picked up.

     “Don’t think it was her,” Damien whispered. “Just a look-a-like with red hair… Her hair was dyed horribly!”

     Shrod managed to crack a smile at that. Once on the balcony, Shrod ordered them to take his son home. “He thought he saw _that woman_.”

     There was no need to elaborate. They were all acquainted with that tone of voice when those two words were said. And the five knew Marissa’s past deeds- all of them horrifying concerning Damien. Shane stood back, mildly confused. He knew only a little. That Damien’s mom was the she-devil, but he was never told exactly the kinds of things she had done to Damien.

     Mai and Sheera instantly swooped over and took Damien’s arms and began to usher him along the balcony to the other side where there was an elevator that led straight down to the parking lot. Tony grabbed Shane’s hand and they followed with Caleb beside them. Tony and Caleb observing all of their surroundings. Shrod had no fear about his son being in that group’s hands. Damien was safer with them than he would have been if surrounded by trained bodyguards. They were his cushions, after all. Damien’s security.

 

* * *

 

Two days went by before Jared returned from his trip. Two days in which he was unaware of what had been going on back home. It was nearing noon when a company car pulled up to the front of Damien’s penthouse building. Jared climbed from the car and rounded to the open trunk to grab the roller case and duffle bag before the driver got out to do it. With his luggage in hand, Jared stifled a yawn and strode into the building, pulling the case behind him and hanging the duffle bag over his shoulder as he went. Damien would probably be sore with him in a deranged sort of way by this time. Especially after missing the gala two nights past and not calling since the day before that. But he’d been severely tired by that time and he really hadn’t wanted to hear any more of Damien’s whining about things he had no control over.

     When Jared reached the foyer, he wondered if Damien had listened to him even once and locked his door. He scowled as he reached for the doorknob, expecting the blond had not and he was surprised and wary when he found it locked tight. As much as he was pleased the door was locked, he wondered what had made Damien finally lock it. Jared knew without doubt it hadn’t been his pestering. “About time though,” he murmured as he dropped his duffle bag and then pulled out his wallet where he had a single key pressed behind one of his credit cards. He’d had a key since the first time he ‘broke into’ Damien’s apartment and then he’d had this one made when Damien changed the locks.

     Once the door was open, Jared stepped inside and wasn’t at all surprised when he heard the TV on and heard voices chattering over that. As he left his luggage in the hall, he supposed that wasn’t so strange. It was a Saturday afternoon, but the whole door locking thing had him on edge. Jared shut the door behind him with an audible snap. The talking cut off immediately and Damien was suddenly standing at the end of the hall. Seeing who had entered the apartment, Damien’s frightened look immediately morphed into a wide smile and Jared thought about how it would be to come home to that smile every day. It would be a fine thing.

     “Damien? Who is it?” Tony called. Jared raised a brow. Tony sounded dangerous.

     “My bastard.”

     _My bastard._ Yeah, he liked that too. But first… that frightened look on Damien’s face before he realized who was at the door and then Tony’s obvious protective tone. Something had happened. He crooked a finger at the blond and Damien immediately responded; practically ran to him. “You’re a sight for sore eyes, princess. Even when you’re dressed in ratty sweats,” he murmured. Damien didn’t start ranting about his non-hasty return or the jibe at his apparel and that was worrying as well.

     Jared’s mouth was already seeking Damien’s before his arms could lock around Damien’s slim waist. The blond’s kiss reflected what he felt at having Jared back; his kiss was full of excited energy and he clung to Jared, his fingers digging into the brunet’s shoulders. But after a moment where he forcibly pulled his mind away from simply savoring the man in his arms, Jared noticed his lover shivering and he didn’t think it had anything to do with being aroused.

     “Damien?” he questioned against the blond’s lips. Damien immediately pulled away and gave him a shaky smile. Jared narrowed his eyes when Damien refused to meet his gaze. “Um…l-let me take your stuff to my room. You’ll stay tonight, won’t you, bastard?” Damien turned away with the luggage before he could answer with an affirmative.

     Jared let him go only because he wanted answers and knew those answers weren’t going to come from Damien. Jared followed him out of the hall and waited until Damien disappeared into his room, softly shutting his door behind him. “Someone going to give me a clue here?” he asked the five spread out in the living room.

     Mai and Caleb were snuggled up on one of the loveseats. Tony was on the floor against the couch with Shane lounging between his legs and Sheera was stretched out on that couch with a magazine in her lap. Jared zeroed in onto Sheera’s swollen cheek; looked like she’d been punched.

     “What happened to your face?” he demanded. Sheera reached up and covered the mark.

     “Damien. He didn’t mean to do it. He wasn’t even awake,” she whispered.

     “He thought he saw his mother the other night,” Tony put in, answering Jared’s first question.

     “It really shook him up, man,” Caleb murmured. “Don’t think he’s thought about her in a long time.”

       “He started having nightmares again too. Last night was bad,” Sheera told him. “That’s how I got this,” she said about her cheek. “Tried to wake him up and he was swinging out, trying to get away from… he hit me.”

     “Does Shrod know about this?” all five nodded. A look of rage crossed his face as he dug into his pocket for his phone and the slammed out onto the patio. A moment later they could clearly hear him yelling into the phone.

     “WHY THE FUCK DIDN’T I GET A CALL ABOUT THIS, OLD MAN? SOMEONE SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME… I WASN’T TOO BUSY FOR THIS! FOR HIM… I DON’T FUCKING CARE IF IT WASN’T THAT BLOODSUCKING HARPY CUNT!”

     Sheera spit out the soda she was in the process of swallowing, her eyes going wide with humor and disbelief. She didn’t even care coke now spotted the front of her clothes. Caleb watched Jared from behind the glass in awe, knowing whom the British spy was screaming at and wondering how Jared could get away with that without getting his ass fired or worse.

     “I SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOLD, SHROD! YOU SHOULD HAVE--” suddenly Jared jerked the phone away from his ear and seconds later the cold-blooded killer hung his head like a little boy caught doing something bad, and Tony knew the man was being loudly chastised. Jared’s hand clutched around the phone and he mumbled something before hanging up. Jared then hurried in. “Need a car. Tony let me… never mind. Wouldn’t be caught dead in your shite. Caleb, let me borrow your jeep.”

     “Sure, man.” Caleb searched his jeans for the keys and then tossed them to Jared. “Bringing it back right?”

     “Yes. Just don’t leave him alone, all right. Tell him I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

     Sheera snickered. “Did you get in trouble for yelling… awe, Shrod’s going to ground you.”

     Jared flipped her off on the way out. Shane pulled out from between Tony’s legs where he had been laying. “I’ll go tell Damien.”

     Inside the blond’s room, Shane found his friend up in the bathroom, splashing water on his face. “Um… Jared had to run for a minute.”

    “What? But he just got here!”

     Shane sat down on the toilet lid. “He yelled at your dad and got in trouble. Must have been bad ‘cause he practically ran out of here. Borrowed Caleb’s jeep to get there. He’ll be back. Promised as soon as he could. It was actually pretty funny.”

     “Sure he said he’d be back?”

     “Yeah, man. He just went to get his ass chewed out by your dad… hey, is it true? Did you invite Strathom on this Christmas trip we’re going on?”

       Suddenly Damien was grinning. “Hell yes I did, cutie. And he RSVP’d today! Haven’t told She that part though… think I’ll wait until we actually get there.”

       “She’s going to kill you,” Shane laughed. “Can’t wait for it… actually the whole trip sounds awesome, man. Never been skiing before! Tony says he’s going to teach me. I want to learn snowboarding too.”

     Damien laughed and tugged on one of the dark blond strands hanging over Shane’s eye. “One at a time, cutie. And that reminds me. We need to get you some ski attire and equipment.”

     “Nah, it’s cool, dude. I can rent some stuff.”

     “I wasn’t suggesting. I _will_ be buying all of your shit so you might as well get over it now,” Damien replied flatly as he pushed Shane out of the bathroom and over to his closet. “Get over it already and help me pick out something casual and sexy before Jared comes back. Can’t believe I let him see me in these gray rags!”

    

* * *

 

 Jared returned later to find Tony, Caleb, Shane, and Damien sitting side by side in front of the flat screen playing some sort of army shooter game. They were so into the game, not one of them even noticed he was there; they didn’t even see him when he crossed the room to go out onto the balcony where the girls had taken themselves.

     “Give me one of those,” he asked Sheera. She pulled her pack out and tossed it to him.

     “So,” she began sweetly. “How many weeks? Two, four, eight?”

     “He didn’t ground me,” Jared bit out as he lit the cigarette and moved over so that he wasn’t visible to the occupants in the living room. “I’m a grown man for fucks sake!”

     “Why’d you run there so fast then,” Mai asked.

     Jared stared off across the city and took a drag before answering. “He asked me to. He’s still my boss. He calls, I go… he bellowed at me for about an hour. There are you happy?”

     “Yep.”

     Suddenly there was shouting from inside. “Ah, c’mon dude! We were so close!”

     “Tony, you suck!”

     “Suck this, brat! Damien’s the one who shot off that grenade launcher way too early! He gave our position away!”

     “B-but… it makes things go boom.”

     Jared looked heavenward and sighed. “Total amateurs.”

     “It’s not like they’ve actually done any of that stuff in real life like you have.”

     Jared ignored Sheera’s sarcasm and turned to Mai. “Met your grandfather when I was in Tokyo.”

     “Really?” she smiled excitedly. “How was he? Did he look okay? How did you—wait, you’re not supposed to know about me.”

     “Yes. I knew you were the granddaughter of Yakuza. You honestly thought I wouldn’t have known that. I keep telling you people… I know everything.”

     Sheera smirked and spun Mai around. “Do you know about this?” she asked, pulling up the back of Mai’s shirt. _Okay_ , Jared thought, _no I didn’t know that_.

       “Never suspected you were actually involved—just a family member… but those tattoos mean you’ve done things,” he said, walking closer to inspect the art on Mai’s back and completely shocked that it covered half her back. She was only twenty-five… and for Mai to have that much done already… clearly, he’d missed some things. “But how? You’ve lived here for most of your young adult life. I don’t understand how you could have this tattoo…how Mai?”

       “Ha ha! You don’t know everything, super tool,” Sheera said smugly.

       “The fuck?!” The three on the balcony turned to find Caleb pressed against the glass. “Baby, you better pull your shirt back down now!”

       Jared rolled his eyes. What was it about the men in this group and unfounded jealousy? Sheera pat his arm as Mai went in to calm her boyfriend before Jared could start asking questions. “You’re just hot stuff and they know it.”

     Jared scowled and turned to her. The bruise immediately caught his attention again. “How bad?”

     “He was terrorized his entire childhood and early teen years. And now he’s reliving it again. How bad do you think it is?”

     “What happened after he hit you?”

     “He woke up I think. I was kind of out of it after his hit. Next thing I know, he’s wrapped around me, hyperventilating because of the nightmare and because he punched me.” Sheera smiled softly. “He’s been super cuddly with me today.” She turned away, prepared to go back into the penthouse. She paused on the threshold. “He called out for you last night… just thought you might want to know that.”

     “I didn’t know what was happening!” Jared snapped.

     “That’s not why I told you that. Didn’t tell you to make you feel guilty, Jared.” He gave her a curt nod. “Anyway, I’ll see you later. Working in an hour.”

     Jared said nothing and watched her leave. He watched her grab her purse on her way out. Damien raced after her and caught Sheera before she left the apartment. From where Jared was standing, he could see how tightly the blond was embracing his friend. He knew Damien would feel guilty over hitting Sheera for a long time. Even if he hadn’t even been awake. When Sheera was gone, Damien turned and walked down the hall. Their eyes were locked on each other. Damien was glaring at him. Clearly he was angry Jared had left without a word to him.

     Jared smirked as he moved back into the penthouse, eyes on the man who was giving him the cold shoulder and passing into kitchen without a word to him. Jared slowly followed, his eyes taking in every inch of his lover’s form now. Of course Damien had changed. That was expected. But fuck, Damien was wearing skintight clothes that left nothing to the imagination. The blond wasn’t wearing those ripped jeans, but these dark form-fitting jeans were just as sexy, as was the dark red t-shirt molded to his torso.

     A quick glance around the room found Shane and Tony still in front of the TV. Shane was sitting up glaring at his boyfriend while Tony reclined back on his elbows, grinning at the freshman. Mai and Caleb had disappeared, but Jared knew they’d gone off to one of the guest rooms.

     “Tony! My fridge is empty again.”

     Tony pulled his eyes away from Shane to look into the kitchen where Damien was bent over, apparently looking for something. “And?”

     “Please? I’ll love you forever and ever and ever…”

     “Christ! Fine! Give me some cash.”

     Damien popped out of the fridge with a triumphant whoop and spun around, only to be nearly pushed into the open appliance by Jared when the man wrapped around Damien, immediately pressing their lips together as if he could hear Damien’s needy thoughts. Damien may have been trying to ignore him, but Jared could read the subtle signs and was awarded for his observations when Damien immediately relaxed into him. Raising his arms to circle Jared’s neck and bury his fingers into the man’s dark hair at the nape of his neck.

     “Cash, man!”

     Damien was paying no attention to Tony’s exasperated yelling. Jared shifted a bit, but didn’t stop stroking Damien’s tongue with his own. He pulled out his wallet from his back pocket and tossed it over his shoulder. Behind he could hear Shane laughing lightly. Jared wrapped an arm around Damien’s waist and pulled him away from the fridge and closed the door.

     “I… I got a little mad the other day,” Damien whispered. “YOU HUNG UP ON ME!”

     Jared ran the pad of his thumb across Damien’s wet swollen lips. “You were being a whiney spoiled prat. Screaming at me at a ridiculous level. Hung up the phone and still I could hear you. I could hear you across seas.”

     Damien snorted out a laugh.

     Jared stole another kiss and admitted, “I missed you.”

     Damien smiled like a happy kid. Jared wanted to make it his personal mission to keep that smile on his lover’s face for the rest of his life.

      

* * *

 

 He was cold. So very cold. Why was he cold? He could feel cold air caressing his skin. But that was normal. He’d gone to sleep without clothes. He’d gone to sleep with Jared wrapped firmly around him. He’d fallen asleep with Jared still inside him. So why was he cold? Damien pouted and tried to shift, seeking Jared’s warmth. The pout dropped away to terrorizing panic when he realized he couldn’t move. He was paralyzed. He could feel, but not move. And another wave of panic washed through him. His eyes were open but he couldn’t see. He was blindfolded.

     Now Damien knew why he was cold. His bare back was cold because he was lying on a metal table. He knew without seeing that he was in a room with nothing but that table and walls of white tiles. Though one wall was nothing but observation windows. He knew what it looked like because they always put the blindfold on him _after_ he was dragged into the room time and again for what felt like weeks when it was in fact only days.

     And then he heard a door creaking open. The sound dragging on forever and making his already cold blood turn to ice in his veins. The sound of slow footsteps rang in his ears, making him want to scream in terror. Damien’s breathing was erratic now, making way for another panic attack. He felt it coming on, worse than ever; he could hardly breathe. He struggled, but these actions were all internal. He couldn’t move any part of his body. It was always like this. They had drugged him again. He could never move. They made it to where he could never move but always feel everything they did to him.

     “Stop,” he rasped when those footsteps stopped. “Don’t.” Hands wrapped around his shoulders. “Don’t touch me! Get off me! Get off!” the fingers tightened, digging into his muscles. He was being shaken now. “Get off me! Jared!”

     “Right here,” a voice far off voice answered, penetrating his panic. “I’m right here. Open your eyes. You need to breathe, Damien.”

     The grip on his shoulders lessened, the shaking stopped. Damien felt lips on his forehead, felt a hand leave his shoulder to caress his face. The cold he felt seeping away, though the panic induced tremors remained.

     “Jared,” he croaked out on a sob. A body slid against his, but this body didn’t terrify him. This body was long and lean and strong. Warm.

     “I’m right here and it’ll be over my dead body before someone hurts you again.”

     The voice was clear now. Clear and dangerous and growled in a way that warmed Damien further and gave him enough strength to finally open his eyes, pulling completely away from the recurring nightmare.

     The fear, panic, and terror hadn’t quite left Damien’s blue eyes. His face was pale and clammy and all Jared wanted to do was jump out of bed and slaughter the bastards who were responsible for all the bad that had happened to his lover when he was fourteen. And he desperately wanted to find the bitch that had given birth to Damien and break her neck. There would be no hesitation. Only he had to find her first.

     Marissa Renee had not been implicated in Damien’s kidnapping and subsequent sexual abuse. Shrod always suspected her but there had never been any proof. Damien never saw her during the entire time of his capture. However, Damien having nightmares about the kidnapping after seeing a woman who looked like her, Jared knew Damien felt it deep down Marissa had been involved. And she may not have known or expected Damien would be sexually abused while being held captive, but that’s what happened and that made her just as responsible.

     Jared wanted to jump out of the bed and hunt her down, but at the moment he couldn’t do that. Not with Damien still on the edge of a panic attack. He would never leave Damien in this state. He had hoped his presence in bed with the blond at night would keep the nightmares away, but that was a big fail. However he couldn’t help but feel something pleasing when Damien had called out for him before he’d even been pulled from the dream. And the fact that Damien was reaching for him now instead of pulling away… Jared had steeled for that reaction. Expecting it when Damien fully awoke.

     Jared relaxed back on the mattress and pulled the slighter man closer. Damien immediately curled against him and closed his eyes. Long after Damien returned to sleep, Jared remained awake. His gaze lingering on Damien’s face for the most part as he mentally went through all that he knew about Damien’s mother and his abduction. Shrod said his people never caught up with the woman who Damien saw, but the old man was positive it had not been Marissa. Jared didn’t care if it was or not. Jared was going to find her. He wanted to know her every movement. He wanted to make sure she never came near Damien again.

* * *

A/N: Reviews? Let me know how I'm doing. Please and Thank you. ;D


	22. Episode Twenty-Two

Jared was still awake when Damien’s alarm clock went off the next morning. He quickly extended his arm over to the bedside table, careful not to disturb the body draped over him, and turned the alarm off. His mind had been a whirlwind all bloody night and he wouldn’t have been able to sleep even if he’d wanted to. Damien had gone back under, but his sleep had been restless. No more nightmares, thank God, but it wasn’t a peaceful sleep either.

     Lifting a hand, Jared let his fingers trail over the shoulder pressed against his jaw. Damien had a lithe body. So slim many people probably underestimated his strength. But Jared knew how strong he was physically and mentally. He was strong in so many ways. But also, mentally he was cracked. He would always be cracked. Just as Shrod had said, no amount of therapy would fix that. Damien had probably been born this way. That woman… she hadn’t been the best expecting mother, hadn’t kept healthy nor had she cared about the fetus growing within her. She was known to have indulged in illegal substances before and during the pregnancy, even when Shrod threatened and begged her not to.

     Not to say Damien wasn’t intelligent. He was. Very. And he knew business just as well as Jared did. What made Damien special was the fact he accepted his mental afflictions; enjoyed them and used them to his advantage and to someone like Jared that was enticing. Damien only needed someone to keep him in line sometimes. To make sure he didn’t go too far… in public. His friends- their friends- had done a brilliant job of it so far. And now Damien had opened to him and was finally willing to let Jared take care of him in a way the others couldn’t.

     His lips replaced his caressing fingers, tasting the pale skin readily available as he remembered his first meeting with Damien in Shrod’s office. Jared had of course seen pictures of the Shrod heir before he’d been hired. He’d done a thorough examination of Shrod Corporations before accepting the unbelievable job he’d been offered; a job that Shrod had promised would utilize _all_ of his skills. But no pictures had done the spoiled heir justice.

     He wasn’t into relationships. Usually too busy, a little too cold hearted, and just not motivated enough for it. He was a cold blooded killer, for fuck’s sake. He had no business looking for something more than a one night stand. But then Damien had walked into the office with a wide grin, calling out a cheerful greeting to his father and Jared had been struck painfully with instant want. He’d already known by then Damien and his father were no innocents.

     Jared smiled against Damien’s heated skin and allowed his lips to trail over to the ear close to his mouth as he was immersed in that meeting. Damien had seen him standing in front of his father’s desk and that cheerful smile had dropped and the heir’s eyes had frosted over completely and that was the start of their less than friendly association. Damien had been seething by the time he’d stormed from his father’s office, having been told he and Jared would be working closely together for the unforeseeable future.

     Damien’s fury had been amusing and a turn on, and Jared had made it his mission to rile Damien up whenever he could and over the last two years, he learned that he couldn’t do without pulling reactions from the natural blond. Some of them were lovely dangerous reactions. Jared even enjoyed the spoiled tantrums. And he could deal with Damien’s flamboyancy. Jared rather thought it was cute. Finally he found he was definitely motivated to keep Damien Shrod the Third.

     Damien stirred when Jared’s teeth nipped at his earlobe. “Mmm.”

     “Awake yet?”

     “Not yet,” Damien slurred sleepily. “But keep doing what you’re doing.”

     Mentally, Damien may still be asleep but Jared could feel his lover’s blooming arousal pressing against his stomach so he continued tasting Damien’s skin and skimming his hands all across Damien’s back and fine arse until the blond was groaning and moving against him. Damien finally lifted his face off Jared’s chest to face him and instantly dipped down for a kiss. It was an opened mouth kiss with a lot of tongue and saliva. It was sloppy and loaded with heat and utterly breathtaking.

     When Damien pulled away he scrunched up his nose. “Gross. Morning breath.”

     Jared grinned. “Your breath isn’t so great either.”

     “Liar. I’m perfect all the time.”

     Jared dropped his hands to grip Damien’s hips to shift his lover until their cocks were pressing and rubbing against each other. Jared hissed out a breath and let his head fall back to the pillow. Despite his claims of morning breath, it was Damien who instigated the next kiss, this one just as explosive as the first and they started to move in sync, panting and sweating against each other and they didn’t stop until they’d both fallen over the edge and created a mess between them.

     After, Damien rolled over as if he planned to go right back to sleep, but Jared dragged him out of the bed and into the shower.

     “But I want more sleep!” Damien protested as he was shoved under the hot spraying water.

     “You’ve got work. The Sage? Renovations,” he reminded patiently.

     Damien tsked. “Oh yeah.”

     He remained silent as Jared poured shampoo into his hand and began to massage it into his hair. He couldn’t help but lift his hands and grip those fucking fantastic shoulders to keep from collapsing under the emotions flooding him. This was still new. The whole waking up with someone and feeling content. The shower thing was definitely new too. And Jared was staring into his eyes as he washed Damien’s hair and there was nothing but fondness and heat and…

       Damien shook his head and cleared his throat. “Gonna color my hair again.”

       “Canary yellow?” Jared asked with a grin.

       Damien laughed. “No, idiot. I was thinking I Love You Pink.”

       The hands in his hair stilled and Damien only realized what he said. “I mean… that’s the color… that’s the name of the color! I didn’t mean--” he was panicking now, hyperventilating, “I wasn’t implying…I mean, you--”

     Jared shoved him back under the water. “Breathe, princess.”

     Damien spit water out of his mouth. “How can I breathe? You’re drowning me!”

     “You look good wet,” Jared went on, now rinsing the soapy suds out of Damien’s hair. “And pink may be a little too much for me to handle.”

     “Dark, dark purple then. Violet?”

     “Sure,” Jared replied, smirking. “Your father would love that.”

     “I won’t be in the office much until after New Years,” Damien reminded, grinning. “Finals for me. The last of school!”

     “That’s right. Then you’ll graduate and be underfoot all the time at the office.”

     “You’re just afraid I’ll try to seduce you out of your nice suits. And I will,” he added with a smug grin.

     “Our Assistants and secretaries will probably start another betting pool… did you know your father put in on that?” Damien gaped at him. “It’s true.”

     “Stupid daddy,” he muttered as they switched places and Jared started washing his own hair while Damien grabbed for his body wash. “Why was everyone always on your side? It’s the fake accent, isn’t it?”

     “My accent is not fake.”

     “The British one, yes it is. Do you think I’m an idiot, Jared?”

     Jared replied by grinning and pushing Damien back under the water. “You really do look good wet.

     After the shower and when they were dressed, the two moved out into the main room. Damien immediately went to the kitchen for coffee. Jared trailed after him, leaning up against the table to watch him. Damien didn’t look like he was going to start it. And truthfully, Jared didn’t want to bring it up, but he knew it had to be done.

     “You’re not the same,” he began. Damien’s back was to him and the blond stilled in his actions. “You’re not fourteen anymore.”

     “I know that,” came the soft reply.

     “You’re not defenseless anymore either. You’ve had-”

     “I don’t want to talk about this,” Damien cut in, still with the same soft voice. He hadn’t moved a breath.

     Jared pushed off against the table and pressed against his lover’s back, wrapping arms around the trembling blond. “You’ve had years of self defense training,” he went on, pressing his lips against Damien’s neck. “And you’re smarter now than you were then. You’re less closed off. You’re a bit more insane, which in my opinion works to your advantage against any adversary.”

     Damien whipped his head to the side to stare Jared in the eye. Then he snorted in amusement and nodded.

     “You should know I’ll protect you from anything. I’ll protect you no matter what you do or what happens after.”

     Damien sucked in a breath. That had sounded… “What does that mean?” he whispered.

     “I think you know what I’m trying to say, Damien.”

     Damien let his chin fall to his chest, willing his breathing to go back to normal. “I don’t think the world is ready for a team like us,” he murmured, truly believing what he was saying. He felt his lover nodding against the side of his head.

     “You’re also bloody amazing with a knife,” Jared pointed out as an afterthought. “Next time you have that dream, imagine sticking that knife in whoever’s throat.”

     Damien was silent for a moment and then said very seriously, “I want to use an ice pick.”

     Jared flashed a white toothed grin. “That’ll work.”

     The blond turned in his arms until they were chest to chest. “Did it… did it turn you on when I cut that man’s throat?”

     Jared cleared his throat and lifted a hand to scratch the back of his head. “N-no, of course not. I didn’t even see you do that.”

     “What about Hudson? You saw me poke him three times.”

     Jared’s eyes skidded away from Damien’s. “What kind of sick bastard do you think I am?” Damien grinned widely. “Fine. Maybe a little bit. You were so excited to do it… you were—fuck yes! Alright! Yes, I was turned on… a little.”

* * *

Sheera walked in via the back door of Strathom’s at eight in the morning and grit her teeth. Why in the hell had she agreed to open up today when she’d been the one to close shop last night? Jake called her last night asking her to do it, and even though she’d told him to fuck off, both of them knew she would do it. Why couldn’t Jake open the goddamned store himself? What was keeping him away? He hadn’t come in yesterday either… But really, Sheera wasn’t going to complain, not when she knew he was giving her winter break off without bitching about it and he had every right to. Year after year he had the right because she skipped off at a very busy time in the year. And because of the time of year, she was pretty damn sure Jake wouldn’t be able to accept Damien’s goddamned offer to join them on their annual ski trip.

       At a quarter till nine, Sheera unlocked the front door, letting David, Lex, and Stella into the store. Stella locked the door back up behind her as they came in. Sheera quickly returned to the office, having noticed both girls studying her face again. No matter how much makeup she put on, it was not enough to cover up the bruise gained from Damien- poor sweetie- and she didn’t want to stick around to be ogled at. For a flamer, Damien hit just as hard as any straight man could.

       Sheera didn’t leave the back until ten. The girls had already opened the door and the store had a good amount of business that morning. The crowd- mostly men- grew throughout the day and Sheera was counting down the minutes until she could escape on a lunch break. She sighed tiredly as she went into the dressing room to help Lex pull the discarded clothing out and return it to the appropriate racks out on the floor. She had just entered the third stall when it became free, glowering at the many items of clothing left behind, when a voice spoke from behind.

     “Lunch time about now, isn’t it?”

     Sheera was both annoyed and pleased to hear his voice. Though she didn’t let on that she was pleased. She didn’t want to be pleased. And Sheera simply hated that she adored his southern twang. “Why do you always bug me?”

     “Seems to be obvious to everyone but you.”

     “Was that permission to go to lunch?” Sheera asked as she turned to face him, depositing the load of clothes she had against Jake’s chest and dropping, making him have to hurry and catch his merchandise before it hit the floor. He stared at the clothes with a frown. Sheera grinned at his annoyance when his eyes lifted. Seconds passed and then his frown deepened as his eyes took in her face. The bruise. Sheera felt compelled to step back. She knew the moment he saw it. His light blue eyes darkened and narrowed. “Lunch?” she asked again.

     “…yes.”

     Sheera took off without another word or backward glance. Grabbing her bag, she headed out of the store and down the bustling walk to her favorite lunch time fetish. The sushi bar. Once she ordered, Sheera took up her usual place by the window and pulled out her cell, calling Damien.

     _“She! Hey baby!”_

     Sheera smiled. He was in a spectacular mood apparently. “Sweetie,” she greeted. “Up for a visit tonight?”

     _“Course! Caleb’s coming over. We’re watching a game. Not sure what the domesticates are doing…hold on, She—WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING? ARE YOU TRYING TO BRING THE ENTIRE PLACE DOWN? I DON’T BELIEVE THAT’S WHAT I’M PAYING YOU FOR! I DESIGNED THE FUCKING THING! I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING!”_

   Sheera laughed quietly as she held the phone away from her ear, noticing the glances received from the man sitting at the table next to her who could surely hear Damien’s screeching. “He’s menstruating,” she told the nosy ass, waving her phone slightly. The guy looked affronted and turned slightly in his chair so that he was facing away from her. Sheera flashed a smile at his back.

     _“Who’s menstruating? Sheera? Hey, ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?!”_

       “Yes, Damien. I’m listening.”

       _“Anyway, so yes! Come over.”_

     “Alright… You-- Did you… Damien,” she sighed.

     _“I’m good, She. Jared… He’s fucked up, Sheera! He’s totally perfect for me—NOT THERE YOU FUCKING MORON—but I’ll tell you about that when I see you.”_

“Damien, where are you and why are you screaming?”

     _“I’m at the Sage. Overseeing the renovations. WHICH DOESN’T SEEM TO BE GOING ALL THAT WELL!”_

     “Jesus, I’d hate to work for you,” she muttered. “Alright then! I’ll see you later.”

     _“Love you, fag hag!”_

     “Love you too, queer.”

Sheera had just dropped her cell back into her bag when the seat opposite her was suddenly occupied. She rolled her eyes and told herself she should have expected this. It’s not like this was the first time they’d eaten together. “Didn’t you just get to work?”

     “What happened to your face?”

     “What’s it look like? Obviously someone took a fist to it.”

     Jake look surprised that she admitted it without much fight. “Was it that punk ex boyfriend of yours?”

     Sheera snorted. “Marc? Yeah, right… I’d like to see him or any straight man get one over on me like that.”

     Jake sat back and continued to study her face, a smile curving his lips. “So it was a woman.”

     Sheera rolled her eyes. “Why is it all guys like the idea of two chicks beating the hell out of each other? Why is that okay when it’s not okay for a guy to have hit me?”

     “Because if it were a woman, you probably started it.”

     “Fuck you, Jake. For your information, it was Damien.”

     “I refuse to believe it,” Jake said flatly. Sheera smiled. Even Jake knew Damien would never willingly hurt her.

     “He was having a nightmare and clocked me. No big deal.”

     Jake didn’t answer right away. Just sat back, throwing his arm over the back of his chair and watched her eat. It was kind of nerve wracking since she was the only one eating. “Sleep with him often?” he asked, his voice perfectly casual.

       “Since junior high. Don’t expect to do it much longer though since Damien and Jared are now a serious item.”

     “So, what? You sleep with each other for kicks? Stress relief?”

     “Comfort,” Sheera said with a shrug and finally looked at him. The look on his face had her blinking in surprise and then laughing. “There’s no sex, dick. You actually think Damien would have sex with a girl?”

     Jake shrugged, looking away to get over feeling embarrassed at having thought that exact thing. Sheera snickered under her breath. “You’re a bitch, Sheera.”

     “Thanks, boss. I try just for you,” she said, flashing him a smile. One in which he returned.  

     Once she’d finished eating, they went back to the store. Jake took up in the back while Sheera busied herself in the front. Work was… work. Nothing extraordinary happened, for which she was grateful. And then Jake let her off early since she closed the night before and opened this morning.

     “Try and not come back with a face full of bruises next time,” Jake said as he followed her out of the back door.

     “I’ll give you a face full of bruises,” she responded, immediately pulling out a cigarette and leaned against the wall beside the door. This seemed to be a regular occurrence for them as well. If Jake was around when she got off, they’d talk while she smoked a cigarette before she went home. It had never really bothered her before. It seemed natural. They may be assholes to each other, but there was no denying that they were friends because they were.

     “Got any plans tonight, Jake?”

     “Why, you want to join?” he responded, smiling and leaning back to cross his arms over his chest.

     Sheera ignored his flirty smile. “No thanks. Only curious,” she muttered and tossed the cigarette into the ashtray. As she fished out her keys from her purse she said, “must go before Damien calls and shrieks out my eardrums.”

     Jake pushed off the wall. “Are you on his payroll as well?”

     Sheera laughed. “Might as well be. But no, I just…” she turned to meet his gaze and was suddenly looking serious. Then she laughed again. “He needs constant supervision. Bye, Jake.”

     “I’ll see you,” he replied lowly.

     Sheera didn’t dare look back at him as she made for her car.

 

* * *

 

Sheera let herself into Damien’s place to find Caleb and Jared sitting in front of the TV playing Halo. Caleb was laughing while Jared looked severely put out.

     “This is shite,” Jared murmured when his player died once again.

     “You really suck at this, man.”

     “Fuck off. This,” he said, raising the controller, “is nothing like real life.”

     “You only need practice, dude. Can’t believe you’ve never played a video game before.” Caleb said this last bit with awe and watched the spy with pity.

     Sheera laughed as she turned away from them to look around. No one else was visible. “Where’s everyone else? Damien back from the Sage yet?”

       “In the bathroom,” Caleb answered distractedly as he and Jared continued on with their game. As she left towards Damien’s bedroom, Jared growled.

     “This is a waste of time! I’d rather go paintballing… want to do that?”

     “Hell yeah, man! Tomorrow?”

     “It’s a mission.”

     Sheera left those two alone and jogged up the stairs to where Damien’s personal bathroom was located. Damien was sitting in a chair, facing the mirror, while Mai stood behind, brushing in the hair color. “Black again?” she asked, leaning her hip against the counter.

       “With violet streaks,” Mai murmured.

       “Jared likes it dark.”

       Sheera smiled. “So you were going to tell me why you think Jared’s totally perfect for you…”

       Mai grinned over at her.

    “We had sex when I woke up this morning! It was great!”

     “You think he’s perfect cause now you’re getting morning sex?”

     “His morning breath wasn’t even that awful!”

     Sheera stared blankly at him. Mai giggled. Damien cleared his throat when he saw Sheera’s expression. “He also told me some things…”

     Now Sheera smirked. “What kind of things?”

     “He says I should stab my nightmares.” He left out the other things because it was personal and Damien wanted all that warmth to stay with him.

     “Yeah? Well then I’m definitely never sleeping with you again.”

     When Damien’s hair was finished, the three vacated the bedroom to find Caleb and Jared had gone. But there was a note on the coffee table.

     “They went to get food. Good thing too. I’m starved,” Damien told the girls as he spread out on one of the couches, pulling a strand of violet hair down so that he could stare at it in contemplation. Sheera rummaged around in her bag in the kitchen for her cigarettes before moving out onto the balcony. Mai followed her.

     “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong now?”

     “Nothing, Mai” she answered, taking out cigarette and lighting it before tossing the pack onto the closest patio table. “Thought I was being my normal bitchy self.”

     “Actually you aren’t. You’re very quiet. This means there’s something wrong. Spill.”

     Sheera glanced behind Mai to the sliding patio doors before turning to lean against the railing. She heard Mai move to slide the door closed. “Jake’s been acting weird,” she finally answered.

     “Weird how?”

     Sheera blew out a breath of smoke. “Flirting… it’s different,” she elaborated when Mai would have pointed out they always flirted. “Like it’s real now. It’s starting to make me uncomfortable.”

     “Sexual harassment uncomfortable?”

     Sheera laughed. “No. Jake’s not a creep. He couldn’t ever make me feel that kind of weird. Maybe that’s why… ‘cause he’s not a creep.”

     “No he’s not,” Mai agreed. “And he’s also hot as hell.”

     “I really wish I could disagree,” Sheera mumbled. But she couldn’t because Mai was right. Jake Strathom was gorgeous, he had a stellar personality, and Sheera liked him way more than she let on to anyone. “I don’t know, Mai. I’m just bothered. What do you think I should do?”

       “Let your guard down, She. The man likes you,” she said bluntly. “It’s obvious. It’s obvious to everyone under the sun you two are attracted to each other. It’s even obvious to you and Jake, but you have stubbornly placed a wall to block him. So yes, his flirting is real.”

     “He’s not what I want-”

     “Damien let up a little on his control, Sheera. At your insistence. Why don’t you follow your own advice,” Mai hissed. Sheera turned to her, surprised at her best friend’s harsh tone. But Mai was looking at her with a soft expression. “And you do want him.”

       Sheera was glad when she saw the front door open and Shane and Tony appeared. Shane had a loaded backpack on him as they walked in. “Nerd,” she said fondly.

     “Sheera…”

     “Nope. We’re done talking about this. Jake’s not what I need,” she replied, flicking her cigarette over the balcony. “I don’t _need_ anyone. He’s the type of man that needs to take care of someone. That’s not me… I’m going to resign.”

     Mai’s eyes widened. “Don’t do that! You love working there! And,” she went on with an impish grin, “Jake would definitely be lost without you there.”

     Sheera smiled. She liked to think so. But... she was seriously thinking about dropping her two weeks notice. It would be the best thing to do. Mai was staring at her in worry as if she knew what Sheera was thinking. She probably did. Sheera turned to go back inside. Mai sighed and stayed where she was, staring out across the city, dropping into one of her meditative states.

     “Cutie! Come over here and tell me how fantastic you think my hair looks!” Damien shouted as Sheera walked in. She looked over to find Shane had taken up the kitchen table and was pouring over text books.

     “I don’t feel like stroking your ego right now, Damien,” her cousin murmured, not even lifting his eyes from the book.

     Damien gasped in outrage and popped up from the couch, only to have Tony shove him back down. “Dude, fucking finals have turned him insane and they’re not for a couple of weeks! I haven’t had any since that stupid gala,” the brunet mumbled as he sank down bedside Damien. “The game on yet?”

     “Should be… I got morning sex!”

     “Fucker,” Tony hissed as he leaned forward to grab the remote. “It’s Saturday. We’re off… He should stop studying and let me touch him.”

     Damien looked towards the kitchen where Shane was hunched over his book, murmuring under his breath, pen flying across a notebook as he took notes. Damien made a comforting sound and pat Tony’s shoulder. “It won’t be forever. Just think about the fun we’re going to have on our trip.”

     “Speaking of… are we going how we always go?” Sheera questioned from the sofa opposite them.

     “Of course, hun. That’s half the fun,” Damien told her, talking about the five hour drive to the mountains to the north. “Unless you’d rather fly. We can do that to if everyone wants a change.”

     “Driving is fine with me,” Tony said.

     “I don’t have a problem with that,” Sheera put in.

     Tony leaned into Damien. “We’ll have two extra with us.”

     Damien grinned and whispered, “Jake’s going to meet us at the resort,” and then he said louder, “and we’ll take two vehicles this time. So no problem.”

     The front door opened once again and Caleb bounded in, excited looking and holding two of four bags. “Yo! We’re so going paintballing tomorrow! Jared’s already talking trash! Can’t wait to get him!”

     “Yeah, um... no way am I going paintballing with the spy,” Sheera commented as she lay on her back.

     “Chicken,” Jared sneered at her. Good naturedly, of course.

     “Against you? Damn straight. I’m not stupid.”

     “I’m in!” Tony called.

     Damien was nodding eagerly. “Me too!”

   Sheera shook her head. “You’re giving him more easy targets.”

     “Not me. Gotta study.”

     “Shane, you fucking wimp!”

     Shane raised the two finger salute to his boyfriend.

 

* * *

 

Finals suck. Absolutely, positively fucking sucked! No one would get Shane to change his opinion on that. Really, he’d slipped into a coma half an hour ago and was certain everything he’d studied in the last months had completely disappeared from his brain. And since he’d been in a real coma before, Shane was sure he was in one now.

     This was the funk Tony found his boyfriend in. Tony came home from work to find Shane lying on his stomach on the living room floor, his forehead dropped down onto an opened text book. “Shane?”

     “Get me away from this fucking book, Tony,” the brat mumbled. The pencil in his hand suddenly snapped. Tony was willing to bet his boyfriend was about ready to snap as well. “Can’t remember a fucking thing.”

     “You promised not to study all goddamned day, Shane.”

     Shane pointed to something in his book. “Is this a word? Doesn’t look like a word, but it’s all over the fucking pages… think I’ve lost the ability to read!” Tony laughed. Shane moaned and rolled over onto his back, staring blankly up at the ceiling. “Mom’s got another date with Shrod tonight.”

     Tony sobered slightly. He tossed his keys onto the couch and knelt down to hover over Shane, running a hand into the dark blond strands. Shane was uncertain as to how he felt about his mother dating Shrod. Damien was the same way. No one thought they would continue to see each other. But they’d been on four dates already, Shane’s mom was moving to Allmsted, and the dates didn’t seem to be letting up. Tony knew it had nothing to do with Shrod really. Shane just wasn’t certain how he felt about his mother dating anyone. Tony could relate.        

     “When Mom started dating Jerry, I freaked out,” he stated, catching Shane’s undivided attention. “Jerry’s not a bad guy. You know him. I knew that at the time too, but I still freaked out. There was no way I was going to let Mom go out with another guy and get trampled all over again…” Tony pulled his eyes away from Shane and looked off before shrugging. “But I learned it wasn’t about what I wanted. It was about what she wanted. I had to trust she knew what she was doing.”

     “K, I hear what you’re saying, but if Shrod was any kind of serious about her, then why didn’t he take her to that ball thing? It’s like… he didn’t want his snobby associates to see her with him or something, man. That’s fucked up, you know.”

     Tony leaned down till their noses were touching. “Don’t jump to conclusions, brat. Sure there’s a reasonable explanation for that… Shrod’s not that big of a snob. If that’s the way he felt, he never would have asked your mom out.”

     Shane frowned, his forehead creasing in worry. Tony lifted a hand, letting it run through Shane’s hair. He noticed it was damp. “Take a shower recently?”

     “Yeah, went running earlier… so I haven’t actually been studying all day.”

     “Don’t know why you study so much anyway. You’re one of those guys I hate. Nerds who don’t even need to study and get perfect scores.”

     “I’m not a nerd!”

     Tony grinned, dropping his hand to Shane’s back and then letting it slide down to his ass and squeezed. “You’re a sexy nerd.” Shane blushed. But he also shifted closer, his hips bumping into Tony’s. “Can I touch my sexy nerd now?”

     Shane pulled back, shaking his head. “Actually I’ve got a couple more chapters--”

     Tony jumped to his feet. “To hell with that you fucking tease!” he grinned when Shane’s eyes widened. Tony bent down, picked the brat up and threw him over his shoulder. Shane started laughing. “A good fuck will do both of us good, dude. Watch.”

       Shane was blessedly complacent as he was hauled down the hall and into the bedroom. One thing was for sure, Tony couldn’t wait until Wednesday; the end of classes and the end of Shane’s studying frenzy.

 

* * *

Monday and the start of final exams came all too soon for the students of Allmsted University. Shane was a bundle of agitated nerves until the second he stepped into The Tyrant’s classroom. And then he was hit with a strange calm, as if a heated blanket had been draped over him. He knew Professor Davenport’s final exam would be hell, but still he felt confident he’d studied enough, and at the end of it he had the satisfaction of smiling innocently at the bastard when he dropped his test off on the professor’s desk. _Fail that, shit head_ , he thought, knowing the Tyrant had been gunning for him ever since his attack for no goddamned reason. As he left the room, Shane gave an encouraging chin nod in Connor’s direction.

       Out in the hall, Shane slumped down against the wall to wait for Conner and started to do exactly what a lot of other students were doing. He pulled out the notes to his next class to study as he waited. Conner came out fifteen minutes later, looking kind of sick and sliding down to sit next to Shane with his head bowed. Before Connor could bemoan the fact he failed, Shane gripped his arm and gave a little shake. “We studied for that test together. You had to have passed.”

     “I don’t know…” Connor murmured. “That bitch was hard. When I got to the essay… seriously dude, I wanted to spear my brain with my pencil.”

     “Yeah, the Tyrant did choose an obscure subject for the essay.”

     Conner sighed and got to his feet. “At least I know I’ll pass our next exam.”

     For the two of them Advanced Algebra was a piece of cake and they were among the first to finish the exam and leave the class. “Yes! I can breathe free until tomorrow’s exams!” Connor exclaimed.

     “Not me. I still have a bio exam today.”

     Connor winced sympathetically. “Why don’t I stay with you until your next? We can study till then.”

     “And you can make sure you’ve got everything,” Shane replied with a smirk.

     Connor shrugged. “What can I say, man. You’re good at teaching that stuff.”

     “Cool. Let’s go.”

     Like Conner had felt, when Shane walked out of his bio exam with a fond wave from his professor, he felt he could breathe free for a while. He sent a text to Tony as he headed for the training facility. Fifteen minutes later he’d changed into a pair of running shorts and a red sweat shirt and was starting a round of leisurely laps. Tony was officially off work now until after they returned from their trip, same went for the others of their group so he wasn’t too surprised to see Damien and Tony show up outside the track half an hour later.

     Leaning against the fence lining the track, Damien shivered. “Why does he put himself through this torture,” he whined and tried snuggling against Tony’s side for warmth. Tony snorted and shoved him away before wrapping his jacket tighter around himself.

     “It’s not torture for Shane. To him it’s freedom.”

     “But it’s fucking cold!” Damien complained, trying to press back against Tony’s side.

     “Go home then. No one forced you out here.”

     “Look at those shorts! What the hell is cutie thinking… showing off his fantastic legs like that! BITCH!”

       Tony grinned when Shane lifted an arm and spared Damien a finger. “Don’t be jealous.”

     “I will if I want! He’s going to get sick!”

     “Shane’s a pro runner. He knows what he’s doing, Dame.”

     “You’re drooling, hun,” Damien replied after a few silent minutes, snickering.

     “He looks fine in those shorts,” Tony murmured distractedly, watching as Shane slowed to a walk, stretching his arms high and then dropping them to lace behind his head. The brat turned off the track, grinning as he approached them.

     “Want us to hang around while you shower?” Damien questioned the moment Shane was beside them and all three headed to the building. Shane was better now, but he still had problems being in large crowds and he wasn’t at all comfortable being alone in places like the locker room and showers at school. He was always looking over his shoulder, afraid someone was hiding and preparing to attack from behind.

     “Yeah, thanks.”

     When they were inside, Tony tried following Shane into the showers, but Damien grabbed his arm to keep him outside. Tony glared at him. Shane had been sending him one of those flirty grins that said sex was definitely upon the horizon. “You’re keeping my hands from sliding over the world’s most perfect ass, Damien.”

     “Can’t you stop being a pervert for even one moment?”

     “Perfect. Ass,” he reiterated just in case Damien missed that part. Shane was obviously in a good mood and Tony figured he should take advantage of it. Especially since he knew the moment they got back to Damien’s place, Shane was going to hit the books again. Just as he would, or rather just as he should.

       Inside the shower room, Shane could clearly hear them talking and he grinned widely as he turned one of the showers on and stepped into the stall. Sometimes it still came as a shock to him that a man like Tony could want him, could love him the way he was loved. Completely. It still kind of felt weird that they were living together. Weird, but in no way horrible. And they were about to go away on a trip together… there were other people going to be there, but Shane felt it was the same thing.

     The moment he stepped out of the locker room, Shane was assaulted and dragged back against a very warm hard chest and then wrapped around by Tony’s jacket. He was glad he’d dried his hair thoroughly so that he could drop his head back against Tony and not worry about getting his boyfriend’s shirt wet. It would have been stupid to go outdoors with his hair still wet anyway. The last thing he wanted was to get a cold and end up being sick throughout the ski trip.

     Damien tisked at Tony and grabbed Shane’s bag that he’d accidently dropped when Tony attacked him. “You guys coming over to my place to study?”

       “Don’t we always?” Tony answered.

       “How’d your exams go?” Shane asked as they vacated the building. Shivering slightly as the cold air hit him despite the heat radiating from Tony’s body.

       Damien turned back to him with a grin. “Exams? Is that what they were? I could have sworn they were little quizzes. Easy, baby.”

     “They weren’t that easy,” Shane said with an eye roll.

     “Maybe not for you, freshman…”

     Shane stuck his tongue out at him. Tony chuckled and looked at Damien as they stepped out onto the parking lot. “The spy going to get annoyed we’re at your place again?”

     Damien grinned. “Half the annoyance is only an act…” the fake brunet stopped and suddenly looked serious. “Everyone needs to stop calling him a spy out in public, okay. It’s dangerous for him. He’s not… he’s not retired or anything, alright Tony?”

     “Yeah, I got it, Damien… so you figured it out?”

     “Yeah. Those tattoos… but it all clicked when I heard his real accent. He slips up when he’s very tired.” Then he was back to smiling brightly. “His natural accent is dreamy. It’s a smooth brogue. Cream my pants every time he slips up!”

     “It’s annoying that I don’t know what you two are talking ‘bout beyond the fact we all know Jared’s a hard core murdering fucker,” Shane said as they came to stop between two cars. Damien’s black Jag and Tony’s POS Toyota.

     “Assassinating,” Damien corrected in a whisper. “Assassinating fucker.”

     Tony bent forward, his lips brushing against Shane’s ear. “IRA, or some sort of faction of it-”

     “Tony!”

     Everything clicked into place for Shane as he’d seen the tattoos as well and he was known as a bright boy. Shane stared at Damien in shock. “Man… that makes total sense now!”

     Damien was busy glaring at Tony, who rolled his eyes. “What, Damien? We’re standing here talking about it right in front of him. I’m not keeping secrets from Shane. I know I told Jared I wouldn’t tell, but… Shane’s not a moron. He’s not going to go blabbing, even if you two do like to gossip like girls-” Tony pitched over when Shane’s elbow embedded deep into his stomach.

       Damien’s cell phone went off before he could start screeching. He glowered at Tony a second before he pulled out his phone and walked away several feet to talk. Shane suspected it was Jared on the other end, if the childlike smile was anything to go by. Tony leaned back against the black jag and let out a jaw cracking yawn. Shane twisted around within his jacket until they were pressed stomach to stomach and Tony’s hands immediately slid into his back pockets, cupping his ass. He then frowned and started to dig around in there before pulling out the switch blade.

     A dark look crossed his face, but it was only there for a moment and he slid the knife into Shane’s coat pocket before returning that hand to his ass. “What was that look?” Shane asked.

       “Nothing.”

     Before Shane could ask anymore, Tony’s lips slid against his and his hands gripped Shane’s ass more firmly, tugging Shane’s hips towards his as he spread his legs a bit. They both moaned and for a moment Shane let it slide; instead more interested in the feel of his boyfriend’s body against his and slanting his mouth just so, so that Tony’s tongue had better access.

     Damien glanced back over to them then and frowned. “They’re making out against my car,” he hissed into his phone. “What the hell! They’ll scratch my baby!”

     _“Damien, focus….”_

 “But… Bastard, they’ll scratch her! They’re all over each other—Jesus, they’re really hot when they make out; like they’re alone in a room with no one else around. You should see…” he tapered off breathlessly and shifted on the spot.

     _“I’ve been privy to one of their snogging sessions before,”_ Jared drawled. _“Damien, listen… are you listening, princess?”_

     “Y-yeah,” again with the breathless tone. He wasn’t sure, but he could swear he heard Jared’s breath hitch in reaction. Jared swallowed thickly before clearing his throat. Damien grinned. Hopefully he was turning the bastard on.

     _“I won’t be coming to your place.”_

     “What?” he shouted, all playfulness gone. “Why?” he whined.

     _“I’ve things to do at my own place. I need to do some things before we go on this trip.”_

     Damien wanted to shout that that was not on. That Jared had better be fucking joking! How was he supposed to sleep without him? So much more went through his mind in mere seconds before he realized he was doing it again. That clinginess. He couldn’t help it, he was clingy, and he was afraid Jared was tiring of it and him. He had known after all that eventually he would become too much for anyone. Damien straightened from his slouch and glared at the ground. He’d lived quite well without Jared Newton before. “Fine,” he stated flatly.

     _“Damien, don’t-”_

     Damien cut off the call, seething with insecurity and fear. “GET OFF MY CAR!!”

 

* * *

 

Caleb, Mai, and Sheera were already at the penthouse, spread about with their books and notes, when the three young men arrived. No one said anything as Damien slammed in and went to lock himself in his room with a bang that probably reverberated throughout the high rise building. In the next moment, the sound of Linkin Park’s _Lying From You_ drifted through the penthouse.

     Caleb turned to Shane and Tony. “What the fuck is that about?”

     “Has something to do with Jared,” Tony said with a shrug. Shane immediately extracted himself from his boyfriend and moved on to situate himself and his books at the kitchen table. Tony could literally see a glass bubble come down around the brat.

     He hefted his own backpack, stopped to kiss Sheera’s cheek as she passed him to go have a smoke break, and joined his boyfriend at the table. He’d only just begun to go over his notes for his next exam when his phone went off. Tony leaned back in his chair when he saw who was calling and brought the cell to his ear, staring at Shane’s bent head. “What’s up?”

     _“Where is he? He’s not answering his phone.”_

     “Hello to you too, fucker.”

     Tony watched Shane’s lips curve into an amused smirk at that greeting. Shane’s lips were just as perfect as his ass. The top lip was a flawless cupid’s bow and his bottom lip was full and pouty and so totally bitable.

     _“Seriously, Tony. Where is he?”_

     Tony shifted in his chair and it took great strength to drag his eyes away from Shane’s sexy mouth. “You’ve pissed him off. Where the hell do you think he is? Locked himself in his room again. Music’s blaring… Linkin Park this time. You must have said something really fucked up if he’s upset to the point of Linkin Park.”

     “Linkin Park’s the shit, Tony!”

       Tony cocked a smirk. He knew he’d get a reaction from that. Shane was head over heels for that band. “Least it’s not Eminem,” he went, grinning now as Shane had upped his glare. The brat didn’t like it when Tony insinuated things about his favorite artists. “That would have meant he’s in a humorous murdering mood. It’s good for no one when he starts thinking murder is funny.”

     _“Keep an eye on him.”_

     Tony rolled his eyes. “When do I not? Are you swinging by?”

_“That’s why he’s angry. I can’t.”_

     “Why not?”

     _“...”_

     “For real, dude. Why not?”

     _“I’ve got to pack.”_

     “Shouldn’t take you that long. Still got two days.”

     _“Not clothes, Tony. I’m not going anywhere without the right equipment. I need to clean it and then pack it up. Shrod’s taking it on the plane and then the chopper so we don’t have to drive with it. Speaking of driving, there will not be two vehicles. Shrod’s obtained a vehicle that will fit all seven of us. It’ll be safer if we travel together.”_

     “You’re in a paranoid mood. What the fuck do you think is going to happen? It’s a ski trip, for fuck’s sake! Christmas time… you do know what Christmas is, don’t you?”

     _“I’m still alive because I’m always paranoid.”_

     “You’re fucked up.” And Tony was once again reminded that Jared had to be more than just IRA. There was a lot about Jared that they just didn’t know about yet.

     _“So I’ve been told. Watch him.”_

     “I’ll ask She if she’ll stay the night with him. But just so you know… it’s really pathetic you’d rather sleep with scopes and bullets than with your nymphomaniac lover. If I didn’t know any better I’d say you were asexual.”

     The voice on the other end was a low growl, _“fuck you, Tony.”_

     Tony grinned at having pissed the Irish fucker off and ended the call without another word. He dropped the cell onto the table and moved away from the table to join Sheera out on the balcony. He stole a cig and told her about the conversation he’d just had with Jared.

       “I’ll stay, but I think I’ll sleep on the couch,” she said with a laugh. Tony smiled. Sheera had been in a better mood the last couple of days. Probably because she didn’t have to go to work and hadn’t come into contact with her boss. And the fact that Sheera thought it had all been an elaborate joke about Jake coming on their trip. She was determined to believe it had all been a stupid joke of Damien’s. This thought had Tony’s smile slipping a bit. It was a given she was not going to take it well when Strathom showed up.

     “It’s not like he’ll have an actual knife in his bed, She. He’s not going to stab you thinking you’re his nightmares.”

     Sheera gave him a sardonic look. “He doesn’t _need_ a knife, Tony. It only has to be semi pointy… when was the last time you were up in the loft? Lots of semi pointy things up there… Nope, I’ll settle for the couch, thanks.”

          

* * *

 

   Shane walked out of his last class a free man… or at least free for a few weeks until the next term started. Most freshmen were finished with their exams by Tuesday, but many upper classmen had exams till the end of Wednesday. That included all his friends with the exception of Damien, who was once again waiting for him at the gate as he ran a bit.

     By the looks of it, Shane figured Damien was still ignoring Jared’s calls. The man was leaning against the fence, a morose expression on his face and most importantly, his phone tucked away.      

     “Dude! Stop looking so down! You’re graduating!” Shane exclaimed as he jogged over. Damien gave a half assed shrug. “Look, man, all you have to do is call him. It was just one night.”  

       “Why’s it got to be about Jared,” he returned sulkily. “My wonderful world does _not_ revolve around that bastard prick.”

       “Okay…” Shane conceded, though he knew he was right in his thinking. “If it’s not Jared, then what’s got you so down that you’re not celebrating the last of your school career?”

       Damien rolled his blue eyes and pushed away from the fence. “C’mon. Let’s get you showered and we’ll go grab some food. Sound good?”

     “Yeah, cool.”

     Once they left the school, Shane turned to Damien, biting his lip. “Hey, Damien…”

     They were stopped at a red light and Damien turned to him, raising an eyebrow. “What is it, cutie?”

     “Do you think… do you think we could grab takeaway and eat at the Sage?”

     Damien stared at him hard before finally nodding. “Good idea,” he said softly. “You sure?”

     “Yeah.”

     And so the two grabbed a late lunch and soon Shane was sitting at the newly refurbished bar eating and staring out at the new dance floor, the area where he’d nearly lost his life, for the moment ignoring Damien’s worried stare. The place didn’t look much different since most of the construction was taking place on the roof for the new level.

     “I needed this,” he said after a time, turning to finally look at his friend.

       Damien nodded slowly, a relieved smile on his face. “I brought Tony here last month. That day you two got into that fight… your um,” cough, “breakdown.”

     “Yeah, needed that too,” Shane replied, smiling.

       Damien’s cell phone went off and by Damien’s stiffing shoulders and the ringtone that could kind of be considered sappy- Shane grinned widely- he figured it was Jared.

     “Answer it.” Damien shook his head. “What will it take for you to forgive him this time?”

     “A diamond, onyx, and ruby bracelet; lots of chocolate, a bouquet of flowers- they have to be the right type of flowers- and an expensive bottle of wine,” Damien immediately spat as if he’d been thinking about it all day.

     “You really are a girl.”

     “It’s a masculine bracelet!”

     Shane snickered and leaned over to snatch the ringing phone out of Damien’s death grip. He answered it and before Jared could say anything, Shane rattled off what Damien wanted, laughing while he did it. “Got it, dude? Great…. Yeah, later.”

     Shane looked at Damien, and the artificial brunet was looking off across the room, fingers tapping on the bar. Shane continued to smile as he went back to eating, knowing full well Damien was desperate to know what Jared had said.

     Finally Damien huffed and speared him a look. “Well?”

     “He didn’t say much of anything,” Shane replied, trying to hold back a smirk.

     “Did he say he was coming over tonight? What about my presents?”

     Shane shrugged and pretended not to notice Damien seething beside him. “Dude,” he started after a while, “our parents…”

     Damien turned towards him, his eyes wide and Jared momentarily forgotten. “Daddy was whistling the other day! Whistling! He never does that!”

     “Yeah. I caught Mom giggling with Aunt Rose when they were talking about your father. Did you find out why he didn’t take Mom to that Ball thing?”

       Damien nodded, still looking awed. “Daddy said it was because Miss D wasn’t comfortable enough with him and “them” to attend something like that with him. He said he was impressed with her bluntness.”

       Shane’s eyes lit with comprehension and he slapped his forehead. “That does sound like Mom. Tony’s right, I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.”


	23. Episode Twenty-Three

Jared stood beside the vehicle that would take them to the resort and opened the passenger door, waving everyone in to have a look before they started to pack away their luggage, ski, and snowboarding equipment. The others stared between him and the vehicle with a mixture of expressions.

     “What is this?!” Damien screeched, momentarily forgetting he wasn’t going to be speaking to his bastard lover the entire drive up to the mountains since Jared hadn’t appeared at his place the night before either.

     “This is so cool!” Shane exclaimed, jumping right into the camper and disappearing inside. “It’s like a tour bus! Oh God! A really nice tour bus! Sweet, man!”

       Jared smirked. “See? The kid likes it.”

     “I’m not a kid!”

     “He’s a cute puppy!” Damien retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. “Shane gets excited about everything!”      

     “I like it too,” Mai said as she followed in after Shane. Tony and Caleb followed without another word. If their significant others were pleased, it wouldn’t do them any good to complain now.

     “It’s different,” Caleb muttered to Tony as they went in, “but it’s not so bad. Least we can travel together. And Shane’s right, this is like the Ritz of tour buses. How much did this cost the old man? A mill?”

     “There a bed in here?” Tony asked as he disappeared inside.

     “God, Tony!” Sheera cried. “Already thinking about sex with my innocent little cousin.”

     “Shane, innocent?” Tony called out and then his raucous laughter followed. “Sides… I’d rather take him up against the sink in the bathroom. Cramped makes things more interesting.”

     “Pervert!” Damien shouted.

     Sheera laughed and climbed in, leaving Jared and Damien outside.

     “Before you say anything, this was your father’s idea. He bought this thing. It was his entire idea for us to travel together. And in comfort.”

       “But,” Damien huffed and turned to look at the large caravan, “it’s a bus! And it’s… not pretty.”

     “It’s pretty inside. Also its state of the art, brand new, and it’s only for five hours, princess. Five hours. And it’ll make the trip more comfortable. Now get in and shut up or we’ll leave you here.”

     When Damien’s eyes narrowed, Jared grinned, flashing his straight white teeth. Damien pouted and climbed into the camper ignoring the bastard’s chuckles at his back. Even though he would never admit it to anyone, once Damien studied the inside, he had to admit the bus was nice enough.

     The seats were crème colored leather- genuine leather, he checked. A love seat was situated against the wall and a little over on the other side of the kitchen area was a leather sectional that could be dismantled to create more space. That sectional surrounded a large screen TV. Damien plopped himself down on the couch and stared at the roof. Okay, so maybe this wasn’t horrible. It was clear his father had spent a fortune on this thing. A fortune on something that they would really only be using for ten hours total. Why? Shrod didn’t usually spend frivolously like this, especially when it wasn’t necessary. They were used to driving up in their own cars, or renting big SUV’s, at least. Nothing like this.

     Damien popped off the couch. “Alright, this will do. Let’s go get our luggage.”

     “Glad the Royal princess approves,” Jared murmured from right behind him.

     “One day, Newton, I swear I’m going to gut you,” Damien promised as he turned and pushed passed Jared.

     “You’ll only end up getting hurt,” Jared called back. Damien flicked him off as he rushed out of the bus.

     An hour later, they were back in the RV, all prepared to go. Jared immediately went up front as he called dibs on driving. Damien stood in the middle of the aisle glaring since his lover disappeared without a word or glance at him while everyone else got comfortable.

     “This trip’s going to be tense in a bad way if Damien stays mad at Jared the whole time,” Caleb mumbled to Tony and Shane, who had taken up places at the table.

     Shane, who wasn’t worried, grinned and watched Damien stand in the wide aisle with that frown, biting his lip, and after only a second, Damien finally moved. Shane leaned back so he could see Damien as he walked up to the front. The blond paused in between the seats and gasped. Jared said something, but it was mumbled. And then Damien moved further in and reached down to pick something up that had been tucked in front of the passenger seat. A wicker basket filled with flowers and what looked like a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates. Shane grinned. Damien set the basket down on the passenger seat, his cheeks flushed brightly and hopped onto Jared’s lap, straddling the older man.

     Shane turned away with a smirk; he didn’t need to move closer to know what they were doing now. He jumped when someone chuckled in his ear.

     “You are such a nosy brat.”

     He grinned at Tony. “Damien’s cute when he’s happy and excited over whatever Jared’s done.”

       “Are we going to go anytime soon?” Sheera called out.

       Another hour past found Shane at the same table, except now it was just him and Mai and they were continuing on with his Japanese lessons. Across from the table, sitting on the love seat were Tony and Caleb. Both of who had their PSP’s in hand, playing some racing car game; both talking trash, kicking and elbowing to mess the other up, laughing and bitching whenever they managed to run the other off the road. Sheera sat up near the front, right against the wall separating the back from the driver and passenger seats. She had a magazine in her hands and seemed to be reading, but most of her attention was on Jared and Damien. A small smile was on her lips as she listened to them talking; or talking in Damien’s case from where he sat with his legs tucked under him. He was angled towards the driver’s seat, talking Jared’s ear off. But the spy didn’t seem to mind. He would talk back or laugh whenever Damien said something he thought was funny.

     Suddenly Caleb lowered his hand held game, looking around. “Did anyone stock this bitch?” he questioned.

     “Let’s see.” Tony stood and walked the short way down to the kitchen area, peering into the refrigerator. “Nice.” The brunet pulled out two beers and passed one over to Caleb when the black man came up behind him.

     “Dude, the spy gets kudos,” Caleb murmured, peering in to see the fridge was stocked with not only beer, but a load of hard liquor and sodas. Lunch meats and the like. Fruit. The cabinet above the small sink was also stocked with snack foods, bread, and other things. Caleb frowned them. “We aren’t, you know, actually travelling to Canada or anything like that right? We could last a month in here with all this stuff.”

       “For some reason, he’s being super paranoid… Anyone else want a beer?” Tony asked. Shane answered with an affirmative. Damien came bounding back, shoving Caleb and Tony away, grabbing a coke for Jared and announcing he was going to share his very expensive bottle of wine with Sheera and Mai. After that announcement, the two girls crowded around the kitchen area, leaving Tony and Caleb to roll their eyes as they were pushed even farther back.

     Tony went over to slide in beside Shane. “Finished with the language lesson?” Shane nodded. Tony suddenly thought of something and pushed his beer away. “Jared, you’re not planning on driving the entire time, are you?”

       “Don’t worry about it.”

       Caleb looked at his beer longingly and then back to Jared. “That’s not really fair to you, man. It’s a five hour drive.”

       “Four from here. Told you not to worry about it! And do either of you even know how to drive one of these things?”

     Caleb looked to Tony and then shrugged, “he has a good point,” and happily went back to drinking down his beer. After a moment, Tony did the same, figuring it would do him no good arguing with Jared.

 

* * *

 

 Shane stood outside the large RV, staring at the place they were going to be staying in. It wasn’t what he’d expected; what he’d imagined in his mind the past several weeks. Surrounded by snow, some places shin deep, were several beautiful structures that made up Shrod resorts. Most of the buildings were two stories high and wooden. Looked like personal homes. Large wood cabins. It was better than anything he’d imagined. It seemed more personal than staying in some generic hotel. Aside from that though, Shane could just tell these resorts were for those who had money to spare and Shane decided he really liked having friends with money and he didn’t care how superficial that was.

       “I’m going to check us in. Stay close to the bus.”

       Sheera gave Jared a look. “Okay, daddy. We’ll do whatever you say.”

     Jared shot her a flat look before taking off down the white powdery lane. While Tony and Caleb grinned, Shane snickered. But Damien was giving Jared’s back a contemplative look.

     “He’s gotten more paranoid recently,” Mai said quietly.

     “We already know which cabin we’re staying in. It’s the same every year.”

     “Hasn’t he ever gone on vacation?” Tony asked Damien. Damien shrugged before turning around and jumping back on the bus. If Jared wanted them to stick close he was going to listen when his lover used that sort of voice. He did wonder why Jared was more paranoid than normal. As the others piled back in to await the paranoid Shrod executive, Damien thought a quick call to his father might shed some light on the subject, or a quick whispered discussion, since his father was supposed to make an appearance in a few days.

       Every year Damien and his friends came up to the mountains to Snohomish Heights for a ski getaway; and every year they booked the same cabin. The one furthest in the back from the main lodge. The cabin that afforded the most privacy. Those of the staff knew better than to book that particular cabin during the winter holidays as it was always in use by the Shrods and their guests. It was an ideal location. Shrod liked it for its privacy. Damien loved it for that, and for the fact it was closest to the mountain passes and paths leading into town.

     Damien dropped his head back against the arm rest and wished Jared would hurry up already. He wanted to get to the cabin and relax in the living room, curl up with Jared on one of the couches in front of the huge fireplace and drink hot chocolate laced with some sort of alcohol.

    “I’ve never seen so much snow!” Shane exclaimed. He was kneeling on the love seat, his face pressed against one of the tinted windows.

     “Wait until it’s light out,” Damien replied. “It’s beautiful in the day light.”

     Tony sank down opposite Damien in the sectional, his eyes trained on his boyfriend, half expecting that perfect ass to start wiggling around in excitement. He laughed quietly to himself. “You’re right. He really is like an excited puppy sometimes.”

       Damien smirked and nodded. Course he was right.

    

* * *

 

“What’s going on, prick?”

       Jared turned, his eyes meeting first Tony’s and then Caleb’s. He tried to look innocent but apparently the two weren’t buying it. Tony moved to pull open Jared’s jacket in order to show off the holster holding two pistols.

       “You don’t usually physically case places out, not like this anyway. You usually visually peruse from one place and we all know the cabin was checked already by Shrod Sec.”

       Caleb nodded. “And you never walk around with more than one Glock, dude. So you might as well tell us why you’ve got a fucking stick up your ass.”

       “Where’s Damien?”

       “In the kitchen with the others,” answered Tony. “Now tell us what the fuck is up and should we be worried.”

       “I didn’t want to come here. Told the old man it was a bad idea,” Jared muttered, continuing down the hall. He’d been going around turning on all the lights and checking every room; every single bathroom and closet too. He even checked lamps and light sockets and the potted plants- anywhere and everywhere- and Caleb realized he was checking for bugs.

       “What’s wrong with here?” Caleb asked.

       “Nobody made you come,” Tony muttered.

       “I don’t mind a ski trip, Tony. It’s the coming here part. Coming to a place you’ve been coming to for years. It would be easy… to follow movements. It’s predictable.”

       “Jesus, dude. Tell us what’s up!”

       “I’ve been looking for her. Damien’s mother. I need to take her out of the equation, only she’s a hard cunt to locate. I did, however, find and hack into her financial records…”

     “And?”

     “And she’s been spending a lot of money recently. Twenty grand here, fifty grand there; all disappearing from her accounts on the same day. But I can’t follow the trail, which means she probably withdraws cash.”

       “Still don’t understand.”

     “If I were paying mercenaries, that’s what I’d do. Pay cash. Make it so nothing can come back to me… I’m usually paid in such a way.”

       Tony’s eyes widened. “Wait, you don’t think… you could be jumping to conclusions.”

       Jared shook his head. “I think Damien did see her at that gala,” he said firmly. “She’s a slippery bitch with a grudge against the Shrods and unfortunately she has good contacts- she didn’t exactly come from a poor family, did she- which is why she’s able to stay off the radar, and why she was never charged with anything in regards to Damien.” Tony and Caleb remained silent after that, staring at him with hard expressions. “Nothing for you to worry about. It doesn’t involve you.”

       “Fuck that, man!” Caleb burst out. “An attack on Damien in any form is an attack on all of us. I can understand why you wanted to keep this away from him, but you should have fucking told _us_ ,” he motioned between himself and Tony, “this shit before we left! We could have prepared too!”

       Tony nodded. “You should know better by now, Jared. One for all and all that bull shit.”

       “Since middle school, man,” Caleb ended with a firm nod.

       Jared hissed in annoyance and left the last guest room to return downstairs. “Supposed to be keeping them out of trouble,” he muttered to himself, thinking Shrod was going to want to kill him.

       “Guys!” Sheera called from somewhere down the hall. “The laced hot chocolate has been made!”

       “We’re coming!” Caleb called back and then tugged on Tony’s jacket. “We should tell her. She’s going to get pissed when he shows.”

       Jared, having heard Caleb, turned and smirked at them. “What good does it do to tell her now? She’s going to get mad either way.”

     “He’s right,” Tony said. “But if you want to tell her, go ahead. I’m not doing it. She should already realize… it’s not like we came right out and said it was a joke. She assumed Damien was joking.”

     “When’s he coming anyway?”

     “Tomorrow morning,” Jared answered.

 

* * *

 

 Damien was spread out across the bed on his side with his head held up by a hand, watching the man who sat on the end of the bed. Jared had three guns sitting on the bed beside him and one in his hands and he was in the process of taking that one apart and cleaning it. His movements were meticulous and very well practiced, and Damien watched him in fascination.

     “Tell me some more about this mentor of sorts,” he finally spoke after Jared had done with the first two pistols. He was ready to know exactly who Jared was. And he thought Jared should be ready to tell him. Should be able to trust him by now. “The one who takes traumatized kids and turns them into killing machines for their own gain.”

     Jared paused in his motions, his shoulders visibly tensing. He turned to glance at Damien and saw nothing but open curiosity. Maybe even a bit of childish excitement, which was completely Damien and made Jared smile a little.

     “I was born in Ireland. In Donegal with the name Declan Brennan,” he began, going back to servicing the last pistol as he spoke. “Once, I had a mother, father, a little brother and an older sister. My mother was pregnant as well when it happened…” He paused and as Damien pulled in a deep breath at the admissions, Jared swallow thickly, his hands tightening around the gun in his lap. Damien pulled himself up until he was kneeling on the bed, staring at his lover’s haunted profile. Jared looked away from the Glock to stare at the wall straight across from him.

    “I was seven. I was only seven when I received my first bullet wounds.” Jared laughed suddenly, and it was a derisive cold laugh. “The world is always talking about IRA attacks, about how we’re monsters, but they never speak of the terror Britain causes. Of their attacks on innocent people in our own country. Even before it happened, I’d heard of terrible things happening to the people of the Republic,” he went on, turning to look at Damien. “But I was only seven and didn’t completely understand until I’d lost them… There was a massive attack at a church gathering. Apparently someone had intel that said the gathering was a cover.” Jared shook his head. “Which was bullocks since half the people there were children, but the Brits didn’t care who they were attacking.

     “I don’t remember much. All I do remember is running after my sister down the path behind the church. I remember the both of us laughing. Holly looked at me over her shoulder as we ran, smiling at me, telling me to hurry up and then… then the earth rocked under our feet. Next thing I know, my ears are bleeding and I can’t hear anything, but I can see my sister burning, her arm laying several feet away from her body. I could see her mouth open. She was screaming, but I couldn’t hear... Another explosion went off behind me, sending me flying. And another to the left. The church where the rest of my family was. Bullets flying all over the place…” Jared looked down at the gun in his lap.

       “Woke up in the hospital two days later. In Northern Ireland. Bastards from Belfast were there. Started questioning me about my family’s association with the IRA. It was an interrogation that lasted several hours…”

     “But you were only seven,” Damien murmured, unable to stop himself from crawling forward and grabbing onto the back of Jared’s shoulders.

     “They wouldn’t answer any of my questions. Wouldn’t tell me what happened to my family. But I learned soon enough. The moment I heard from one of the nurses I was being released to an orphanage… that’s how I found out I was the only survivor of my family.”

     “Jared,” the blond whispered, tightening his hold and pressing his cheek against the man’s back.

     Jared set aside his gun to grip the arms around his chest, rubbing his palm soothingly over Damien’s arm. “Wasn’t in the orphanage for long. It was maybe a week before _he_ came along and took me out of there without anyone ever knowing. That’s the day I became Jared Newton. Declan Brennan basically disappeared off the face of the earth. Only resurfacing during an attack or an assassination.

     “After what happened to my family, it was easy for him to pray on my grief and guilt, and I did whatever he said, learned whatever he wanted me to. I was happy to join, because that would mean eventually when I was fully trained, I would get revenge for what happened to my family and everyone else who had been killed. The innocent who didn’t deserve it.”

     “What do you mean your guilt?”

     “I felt guilty, having survived when the rest of my family didn’t. Since then I’ve come to realize it wasn’t my fault and there was a reason why I didn’t die that day… For ten years he secretly trained me,” Jared went on, needing to get on with the rest of the story. “For ten years I was an active member of the IRA. I trained a few people myself…”

     “When did you first kill someone?”

     Jared turned his face slightly till his lips were brushing Damien’s cheek. He stared at him, eyes slightly narrowed. “I was ten.”

     This shocked Damien. “Have you ever regretted it?”

     Jared shrugged. “Not particularly. I never killed women or children, not for the IRA attacks, and I made damn sure all my targets deserved what they were getting; those who supplied, planned, and carried out attacks such as the one my family died in.

     “My involvement died down a bit when I went to Uni though. Majoring in business. _He_ didn’t like that, but I was old enough to break his chains and skilled enough to kill even him.” Jared grinned in a feral fashion. “He taught me too well and I’m much cleverer than he. I was mature enough to realize I wanted more in life. So now I work for your father. Now I’m mostly a mercenary. I do certain jobs on Shrod’s orders- I still don’t know how he discovered who I really was- and sometimes I’ll do the odd kill here and there for the old country…” Jared trailed off and leaned back against Damien, apparently no longer bothered by what they were discussing as the most painful part had been the beginning. “And I’ll be watching your back for the next fifty years.”

     Damien, who had pressed his lips in comfort against Jared’s neck, smiled widely. “Who says I want your brutish ass watching my back for that long?”

     Jared reached back, fingers sliding into his hair. “You haven’t a choice, princess.”

     They were silent for a long time, sitting as they were. Damien rubbed his cheek against Jared’s shoulder, smiling when he thought of Jared’s birth name. “Declan,” he finally murmured. “I like bastard better.”

       “Hmm…”

       “What was it like, when your mentor took you away?”

       “It was… still like living in an orphanage. Only it wasn’t just kids. It was an underground military barracks in England.” Jared laughed. “Right under their noses. That’s where the beginning of my training started, though I wasn’t there for long. I started going to school in London, an elite school which made sure no one in the organization knew that Declan Brennan and Jared Newton were one in the same.”

     “That explains why you can easily pass as one of us snobs. Why-”

     Jared twisted around and gently pushed his lover onto his back before crawling over him. “The IRA has a number of brits of high society right under MI5’s noses. I was just another they were training. The ‘elite’ members of the organization always wore ski masks during training and missions so that our identities were kept secret. It served me well in the end. As I was able to get the best education. I wouldn’t be where I am now if not for that. It’s how I can walk about the street without being immediately carted off. Only _he_ and your father know who I really am, or who I was.”

     “Daddy says you’re a business genius,” Damien whispered.

     “Exactly. I enjoy it as much as you.”

     “Did you know Daddy’s gonna-” Damien broke off with a shuddering inhale when Jared’s hand slipped under his shirt and a tongue was suddenly swiped down his neck. “Jared, stop. I want to tell you-” he was again interrupted, but this time instead of it being Jared, who was doing wonderful things with his hands, they both heard something thump against the wall behind the headboard of their bed. One thump turned into many and Damien clearly heard Shane shout Tony’s name. He snickered. The walls weren’t exactly thin, so those two must be going at it crazy style.

     “Why are we all in rooms right next to each other?” Jared murmured.

   Damien snickered again while occupying his hands by unbuttoning Jared’s shirt. “So I can hear Shane own Tony.”

      Jared shook his head, fingering the longish black and violet strands of his lover’s hair. It had been surprisingly easy to tell Damien of his past; the basics anyway. And Damien had reacted the exact way Jared had needed him to. To not make that big of a deal over what happened to him as a child. Jared had had years to get over the unnecessary killings of his family. Damien had accepted it without fuss and that was lovely.

     “Bastard, where’s my bracelet?” Damien demanded as he pushed Jared’s shirt off his shoulders.

     Jared shook out of his thoughts and refocused on Damien’s frowning face. That frown was very petulant… and sexy. “Pardon?”

     “My bracelet. The one Shane told you I wanted along with the wine, flowers, and chocolates. Where is it?”

     Jared suppressed a grin. “Don’t know what you’re talking about, sweetheart.”

     Damien flushed and melted a bit under him. “Yes, you do,” he replied softly, his hands sliding over those perfect shoulders.

     “That would be spoiling you,” Jared murmured as he lowered to run his tongue along the side of Damien’s neck again. “I have no intention of doing such a thing.”

     “A bracelet like that would be the perfect accessory for seven of my outfits, Jared! I want it!”

     Jared shifted until his lips were pressed against Damien’s ear. “I’ll give it to you,” he murmured roughly, and it was completely obvious he wasn’t talking about the bracelet.


	24. Episode Twenty-Four

Sheera was up first the next morning. “No surprise there,” she muttered as she padded down to the kitchen in her nightgown and a thick fleece robe. No surprise since she’d heard what was going on around her. Couples going at it. Sheera scowled as she flipped the switch that would turn the coffee maker on. Mai’s giggles still rang in her ears. Mai was a giggler when she and Caleb went at it. And fucking Shane was a screamer. She hadn’t heard Jared and Damien, but she was almost certain they would have been fucking as well. Sheera started laughing quietly to herself at these thoughts. Not knowing why she was laughing, but suspected she did it because it was better than feeling sorry for herself.

     She left the kitchen with a full cup of black coffee cradled within her hands and walked into the living room, rounding the massive stone fireplace to sink down onto one of the couches, staring into the fireplace and wondering if she should even bother to get it started. Halfway through her coffee, and when none of the boys seemed to be getting their lazy asses up so they could do it, she decided she might as well.

     She’d only just set her mug on the coffee table and stood when she heard someone at the front door. Thinking it to be Shrod, she turned to face the door in order to give him a smile as he unlocked and pushed it open, only for her smile to freeze when it wasn’t Shrod that came in and started stamping his boots on the door rug, trying to dislodge the clinging snow.

     “It wasn’t a joke,” she ground out.

       Jake’s gaze snapped up from the floor when he heard her voice. They stood there silently staring at each other. Now Jake had seen Sheera at her best and worst before after the many years of her working for him, but he’d never seen her quite like this, she thought in despair. Looking completely horrible with her hair down and still tussled from sleep; with nothing on but her nightgown, fleece socks, and robe. Sheera was covered and yet she felt too exposed like this with her boss. Especially when Jake’s flat expression suddenly morphed and he clearly eyed her up and down.

       He flashed her a grin. “Good to see you, Sheera.”  

       Sheera tried desperately to keep from blushing, but she suspected she failed on that. “I wish I could say the same,” she managed to hiss out before spinning and stomping away towards the stairs.

     “That’s not how you’re supposed to greet people,” Jake called after her, a laugh in his tone. He wasn’t surprised when Sheera ignored him and continued up the stairs.

       A moment later, Sheera’s voice suddenly broke the slumbering silence. “DAMIEN!!!”

     Jared shook his head as he pulled on a sweater, eyes going to the figure spread out on the bed. He grabbed his pistols from the bedside table and holstered them just as Sheera started banging on the door. _Strathom is here_ , Jared thought.

     “DAMIEN, YOU QUEER MOTHER FUCKER!”

     Damien groaned and rolled onto his stomach before grabbing Jared’s pillow and wrapping it over the back of his head, pressing it against his ears. “Bastard,” he mumbled. “Go and use one of your spy tools. Shoot her with a trank.”

       “Tranquilizer?” Jared asked in amusement. “I shoot to kill, Damien. Every time.”

       “Oh,” Damien grumbled, trying to burrow into the mattress. “That won’t do.”

       “She’ll calm down in a bit,” Jared replied as he grabbed his heavy white jacket and put that on. He walked over, bracing one knee on the edge of the bed and reached over to grab the pillow off Damien’s head. “I’m going out. Be back soon.”

     Damien shifted so that he could see Jared clearly, a sleepy smile on his face and completely ignoring the banging of his door. He noticed Jared was freshly showered, shaved, and already dressed. “How long have you been up?”

     Jared leaned forward, laying the lightest of kisses across Damien’s jaw before pulling back. “Couple of hours.”

       Damien made a disgusted noise and snatched his pillow back, reattaching it to the back of his head and over his ears. “Don’t let the harpy in.”

       Jared’s hand was around the doorknob just as Sheera yelled out, “Damien, you horrid little fag!”

     He chuckled under his breath and opened the door. He lifted a hand, practically shoving it in her face as he quickly shut the door behind him, smiling when it locked automatically. “Not a word to me. You want to talk to him, get him out yourself.”

       Sheera growled in her throat, though she did step back to let him pass down the hall. She had just started banging on the door again when another door opened. Jared looked over his shoulder to find Shane standing in his own doorway, wearing nothing but a scowl on his face and boxers that barely hung onto his slim frame. They had to be Tony’s.

     Meanwhile, down on the first floor, Jake chuckled under his breath, nothing but amused, as he heard Sheera continuously yell and kick outside of what he assumed was the room Damien was lodged in. Smelling coffee and leaving his luggage by the door for the time being, Jake followed his nose to the kitchen; skirting around the huge Christmas tree set up, and around the round stone fireplace dead center of the large living room as he did so.

     His eyes traveled back to the ceiling upon another one of Sheera’s loud shrieks. She was enraged, obviously. Which made Jake laugh. Especially since apparently no one had told her he was actually coming. He could kind of understand her anger. But he also knew Sheera well enough to know she’d be over it by mid afternoon.

     Jake heard a door open upstairs, mumbled voices, and then another door opened which was followed closely by, “shut the fuck up, cuz! Have any idea what time it is?”

       “Go put some clothes on, Shane! Is that cum in your hair? Go take a fucking shower! DAMIEN!”

       “SHUT UP, SHEERA! You wake Tony up wrong and he’ll be pissed all goddamned day!” Shane bellowed and his words were immediately followed by the slamming of a door. If what he said was true, Jake didn’t think Shane slamming his door like that was productive in keeping Tony from waking up wrong.

     Jake had only poured himself a cup and turned to take in the lodge with more detail when Jared came in, eyeing him critically as he went to the coffee himself. Jake moved over, and as he did, eyed the other man just as intensely. Jared’s jacket wasn’t zipped up and he caught sight of the weapons.

       “Not the place I would expect to see someone carrying those.”

       Jared paused, surprised the man sounded so nonchalant about it. “I have my reasons,” he answered before downing the entire cup he’d just poured and going over everything he knew about Jake Strathom. Yeah, he had a file on Strathom as well.

     “And not my business. Yeah, I get it.”

       Jared gave a curt nod before crossing the kitchen and opening a drawer. He pulled out a card and set it on the counter. “Room key. You’re next to Sheera. Need help with your luggage?”

       “No thanks. You look like you’re about to leave.”

       “Only checking the perimeter,” Jared replied before heading out the kitchen door.

       “Checking the perimeter?” Jake repeated to himself as he moved in order to watch the British man out of the window. “Like James Bond?”

     He watched Jared zip up his white as snow jacket and then pull the hood of his jacket up over his hair before walking off to the side of the lodge, his face tilted down as if looking for something in the snow. From talk, Jake assumed this guy was some sort of security. Which made sense, seeing as Damien was worth billions, and Jake couldn’t see Shrod the Second letting his son leave the city without security.

       The yelling had continued throughout this odd encounter and then it and the banging on the door suddenly stopped. When Caleb shuffled into the kitchen wearing an Allmsted University sweatshirt and pajama pants, yawning loudly, Jake figured Mai must have taken Sheera’s temper in hand. Jake had seen the little lady do it before. Mai was very efficient with cooling her friend down.

     “Sup, Jake.”

     “Morning.”

       “Next time come after twelve. It’s too early for this yelling shit,” the black man said as he stumbled, still half asleep, to the counter.

     “I’ll remember that.”

     “The drive good?” Caleb asked as he went about making another pot of coffee, taking out the ingredients needed from the kitchen cabinets with practiced ease, which made Jake realize he’d been to this lodge a lot. “You must have left the city at four in the morning to get here by now. Why man?”

     “I’m used to leaving very early whenever I go on a trip.”

     Caleb looked at him like he was crazy. “Whatever floats your boat.”

     “What’s up with the guns?” Jake asked as Caleb took a seat at the table. Jake sat across from him.

     Caleb frowned and stared into his mug. Then he shrugged, raising his eyes to Jake. “Protection. The guy’s got a license if that’s what you’re worried about.”

     “Only curious. He’s Damien’s security, right?”

     “Partly. But mostly… he works closely with Damien. Partners, ya know. He’s a Shrod exec.”

     “That guy?”

     Caleb nodded. “Apparently he’s a genius and real ambitious when it comes to business.”

     “Wait, so Damien’s bodyguard is also his business associate… and lover?” he added, just to make sure he had all the facts.

     “Yeah,” Caleb grinned, flashing his teeth. “Just like that. Hey, Jared’s cool. Can be a cold prick sometimes, so don’t let that bother you. He doesn’t know you, and he’s not likely to warm up to you until he does know you. And it’ll probably take longer if Damien flirts with you just to make him jealous. Just—the guy can kill you with his bare hands, so… yeah.”

     Caleb ended with a shrug and grinned into his coffee when Jake’s eyes widened. After silent minutes of coffee drinking, Caleb offered to show Jake to his room and help him with his bags.

     “Ready for this?” he asked as they came to stand in front of his room. The hallway was now currently empty and quiet. “Think you can keep up with us youngins?”

     Jake grinned at that as he unlocked his door. “I can keep up with anyone.”

     “Yeah, hope so. You didn’t think it was uncomfortable at all, planning to spend two weeks with a bunch of college kids?”

     “I’m not that much older than ya’ll,” Jake replied with an eye roll as he walked into his spacious room, “and it takes a lot to make me uncomfortable.”

     “Good to hear,” Caleb said, grinning as he leaned up against the doorframe.

     “Yeah, that, and I wasn’t about to turn down an exclusive Shrod invite,” Jake remarked as he turned in a circle, admiring the room he’d been given.

     “True that. You’d be committing social suicide, man.” Jake nodded. “Does that mean you felt pressured to come here, or did you really want to?”

     “Honestly, I wanted to come.”

     “So what’s your pleasure? Skiing or snowboarding?”

     “Both. Skiing is fun, but snowboarding is for getting the adrenaline pumping.”

     “Straight up, man! Yeah!” Caleb returned, clearly getting excited, rubbing his hands. “All of us can do both too, cept Shane. This is his first time in snow land. But he’s got strong legs so he’ll get it in no time.”

       “Is he... is he good? Sheera doesn’t like to talk about it.”

       Caleb’s smile dimmed a bit. “He’s fine now. Gets a lot of physical therapy at school. Runs all the time now. He still gets tired quicker and more than usual for a guy his age, but he’ll be back to normal in a couple of months. Or so the docs say. Though he’s not going to be able to participate in track this season. He’s still on the team… but we don’t talk about that either, alright?”

     Jake nodded.

       When a door opened up down the hall, Caleb leaned back to see who it was. His eyes lit up. “Oh yeah, the snow bunnies are out! Now _this_ is why I like to hang here! Look at those asses! Get’s better every year! Thank God for Damien, his never ending bank account, and his insistence on having your winter clothes especially made for you!” He then disappeared from the room. Jake followed, catching sight of Caleb bounding down the hall to where Mai and Sheera were standing in their ski attire. They were dressed Apres-ski. Ready to ski and then afterwards, head straight for the resort bars or clubs without having to change. Clearly they weren’t newcomers to ski resort scene.

       “ _Baka._ Go get dressed already. She and I are going to pick up the snowmobiles.”                  

     “Jake, you better change too. You can’t go out like that,” Sheera said, surprising Caleb and Jake. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and smirked at him. “Can’t let you make us look bad, old man.”

       His only answer was to grin and return to his room and do as she said.

      

* * *

 

“You did well.”

     Sheera looked at Mai as they walked out the front door, intending to head to the main building where they had pre-rented snowmobiles waiting for them. She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Felt better after having woken everyone up. Besides Jake would have been insane not to have accepted Damien’s invitation. It would have gotten out had he turned our queer down, and you know what that can do to someone’s reputation. Also… it’s not his fault he was invited. Can’t do anything about it now, and Jake and I are friends… sort of. It might be fun to have him around.”

       Mai laughed. “I like how you’ve just thrown _my_ words back at me.”

     “Well what do you want me to say?!” Sheera snapped.

       Mai just smiled. “That you’re actually glad he’s here. Admit it, She. You’re excited that he’s here.”

       Sheera remained silent a moment, chewing on her lip and listening to the crunching of their boots through the snow. As she looked up, finding Jared headed their way from the side, she finally sighed. “Yeah,” she agreed, not looking happy about it. “Fucking Damien though. Bastard.”

         Mai grinned. “Damien’s not the only one who knew it wasn’t a joke. The other boys knew about it too. They knew he was coming.”

     “Fuckers!” she cried indignantly.

     Mai snickered. They didn’t say anything else until Jared reached them and he started trudging along. “Everything clear?” Mai asked. “Are you going to relax now?”

     Jared shot her a grin. “For a bit.” Then he leaned back and studied them from behind. “Nice.”

     “Geez,” Sheera laughed. “Men.”

       “How does one get into pants that tight? How can you even move?”

       “Ask Damien. His’ll be tighter, I’m sure,” Sheera answered with a grin. “His are always tighter.”

     “Splendid,” said Jared.

     “Dork.”

       The three tramped on in the snow in companionable silence to the main building where they then picked up the keys to the five snowmobiles they had reserved weeks ago.

       “I’m so excited,” Sheera said, jumping up and down on her toes beside the snowmobile she planned to drive back to the lodge. “Can’t wait to teach Shane how to ski!”

       “I thought he wanted to snowboard first,” Jared said, but he was ignored.

       “Um… I think Tony wanted the pleasure,” Mai said to Sheera as she climbed onto a mobile.

         “Tony can kiss my ass! He gets enough pleasure from Shane! Jesus! Did you hear them last night?!”

     Mai mumbled something, averting her eyes and blushing while Jared rolled his eyes. “Their room is next to mine, so yes, I heard,” he answered as hopped on a third mobile. “Shane may be the one getting fucked, but it sounds to me like your cousin holds the leash when it comes to what happens in bed.”

       Sheera blinked at him a few moments before she and Mai broke down into laughter.

       By the time they had collected all of the snowmobiles and reentered the lodge, everyone was already awake and gathered downstairs. Jake, Caleb, and Tony in the den while Shane and Damien were in the kitchen. The moment Sheera, Mai, and Jared saw Tony, the girls started to snicker while Jared chuckled under his breath.

     Tony narrowed his eyes. “What?” he snapped, and it was clear he’d woken up on the wrong side of the bed that morning.

     Jared moved along into the kitchen, letting the girls deal with him and found Shane and Damien sitting at the table, leaning close and talking quietly.

       “Do you think he might?” Shane was asking; his blue eyes wide. “Mom never said anything about it… she really doesn’t talk about it with me.”

       Damien nodded. “Daddy is being particularly secretive about this with me as well… I think there’s a chance.”

     “Man,” Shane sighed and sat back. “This is… this is weird, dude.”

    “Jared, what do you think?” Damien suddenly asked, dark head popping up, eyes immediately finding him standing against the counter where he’s grabbed another cup of coffee.

       “How can I make an opinion when I don’t know what you two girls are talking about?”

       “Hey!”

       Jared smirked at Shane. “It’s true what Tony says. You do gossip like girls.”

       This announcement didn’t bother Damien. Jared knew it wouldn’t. But Shane’s face was coloring with indignation, which was amusing.

     “Bastard, you’re observant. What do you _think_ we were talking about?”

       “You two actually becoming step brothers?”

       Tony came in then. “I was only joking when I said that. Didn’t actually think it would happen.”

     “That’s not what we’re talking about!” snapped Shane. “We were talking about whether or not his dad and my mom were going to show up here together. Besides, my mom’s not going to marry Shrod!”

       Damien pulled his eyes away from Jared, narrowing them on Shane now. “What’s wrong with my father?” he demanded.

       “Nothing… except he’s a billionaire who has assassinating psychos under his thumb!”

       “I’m not a psycho,” Jared replied with an amused tone. Shane waved his words away.

       “Again, what’s wrong with Daddy?” Damien went on. “He not good enough for your mother? I’m inclined to think it’s the other way around!”

     “What?” Shane hissed, hands balling into fists upon the table.

       Tony sighed. “Here we go.”  

       “Damien, that was uncalled for,” Jared chastised. “Especially since you don’t mean it.”

       “He’s making it seem as if there’s something wrong with Daddy! Miss D couldn’t find better!”

       “What’s all this shouting?” Sheera asked as she and the rest of the gang entered the kitchen.

       Both Shane and Damien surged to their feet, pointing rigid fingers at each other. And their answering shouts were simultaneous.

       “He doesn’t think Mom is good enough for his father!”

       “He doesn’t think Daddy is good enough for his mother!”

       “Oh god,” Sheera sighed. “Who started this bullshit?”

       “Tony,” said Jared immediately while Tony announced, “Jared.”

       The two turned and looked at each other blankly. Sheera threw her hands up and walked out of the kitchen. Caleb did the same, muttering about how he wanted none of it. He dragged a grinning Jake out with him, taking the newbie out of the line of fire.

 

* * *

 

 By the time they were all ready to head up to the slopes, Shane and Damien were back to being the best of friends, with Damien’s arm nestled firmly over the younger man’s shoulders and the two were back to laughing and talking and avoiding the topic of their parents as they all trudged out to the snowmobiles.

     But at the base of the slopes, things became tense when Shane found himself standing in the middle of three people, all of who were fighting over the rights to teach him the basics of skiing. Never mind that he’d wanted to start out with snowboarding and that he really wanted to take a beginners class with the resort the first day. But Damien and Tony insisted he should learn skiing first. So now he was stuck between Tony, Sheera, and Damien.

       Shane kept his mouth shut. He didn’t want to get pulled into this. He didn’t want to insult or hurt his boyfriend, cousin, and best friend by picking anyone. In the end Jared saved him. He handed the two snowboards he’d been holding over to Strathom and then tromped over and grabbed the back of Shane’s collar to yank him away from the bickering trio. “Shane’s coming with us,” the man announced, gesturing to himself and a surprised Strathom. “All of you piss off. We’ll meet you later today.”

       “But bastard,” Damien whined.

       Jared thrust Shane over towards Jake before rounding on his lover and the other two. “Didn’t you see you were putting him in an awful situation? _Fighting_ right over him,” he hissed. This seemed to make the three pause and they suddenly looked guilty. “This is nonnegotiable,” he ended firmly as he turned away.

     He grabbed Shane’s arm and started to drag him away with Jake trailing after them bemusedly. Shane could only give a little wave back over his shoulder at his boyfriend before they disappeared around a building.

     “Did you have to say it like that? Fighting right over him? Do I look like a midget?”

     “You’re short, Shane. Even Sheera’s taller than you.”

     “Urg!”

     The bastard laughed as they came before another building. “You wanted to take a beginners snowboarding course, yeah? I signed you up this morning,” Jared said as he passed over one of the two snowboards he’d been toting. “Took the liberty of grabbing your board when no one was looking.”

     “Thanks, Jared!”

     “They mean well, but with you they can’t help but mother you.”

     Shane sighed. “Yeah, I know.”

     Jared pushed back his sleeve to look at his watch. “You have fifteen before the course starts. It lasts a couple of hours, so that gives Tony and the others time to go back and grab their boards and warm up together. By the time you’re done, they’ll be inching to teach of all about boarding.”        

     “You think of everything, don’t you?”

     “It pays to be prepared.”

     Shane grinned. “So why’d you want to go out with Jake? You’re not going to do anything… bad to him, are you?”

     Jared was expressionless. Shane smirked and Jake was grinning in an unconcerned way as he said, “have a feeling I’m going to be interrogated.”

       “Let’s go,” Jared said, and Jake dutifully followed him, leaving Shane there grinning after them. Jake had to know that if he wanted Sheera, he had to go through all of them. He was intelligent enough to know he had to get on Jared’s good side.

    

* * *

 

 Shane had a blast at the beginner’s course. He learned the basics of snowboarding and he also met some cool people. By the time the course ended he knew he didn’t even have it remotely down, but he felt a little more comfortable allowing his friends to show him how it’s done. He had the confidence and he knew all he needed was practice. And he’d get that in spades the next couple of weeks.

     Only thing was, he didn’t want Tony and the others spending all their time trying to teach him when they would probably rather be on the slopes snowboarding for real instead of looking after a beginner who would no doubt slow them down. So even after the course was over, Shane took off to the bunny slopes with a few from the class where they practiced what they’d learned. He was only half surprised when Jared showed up with Jake in tow an hour later.

     Shane picked himself out of the snow, disengaged the snowboard from his boots, and jogged to where Jared was standing. “Hey!”

     “How is it?”

     “It’s great! I’ve fallen about a million times. The first few times were brutal, but it’s still awesome! Probably going to board the entire two weeks.”

     “You aren’t overdoing yourself?” Jared asked with a narrowed look.

     Shane rolled his eyes in answer. “I have to exert myself, Jared.”

     “I think you have enough exertion at nights making Tony your bitch,” Jared replied flatly.

     Shane blushed crimson and then coughed when he remembered Jake was standing right there hearing every word. Jake, for his part, looked nothing but amused. “Shut up, Jared!”

       The man laughed. “Come on. Let’s do a run. I want to see if they taught you properly.”

       “Aren’t you supposed to be watching Damien’s back?” Shane asked. Jake turned to listen because he’d thought that as well.

       “For the most part I will be… what? Did you think I was the only security he has?”

       “Haven’t seen anyone else.”

       “Make no mistake. A specially trained team is always watching Damien’s back when he officially travels, and when Shrod gets here they’ll be watching him as well. You won’t ever see them because if you do, that means Damien will also and then we’d be subjected to another of princess’s massive tantrums.” Jared turned around, looking off towards one of the lifts. “Now come on. There’s a run I want to take you on. We’ll meet the others in an hour and the run we’re doing will take us about forty-five minutes.”

     “You don’t have to,” said Shane, remembering why he had lingered at the bunny slopes in the first place.

     “I want to,” the man said, turning and throwing an arm around Shane’s shoulders and tugging him forward.

     Jake followed, a little surprised by the care Jared took with Shane. It was clear to him why he didn’t want Shane going off by himself. And it was also clear Jared cared very much about Shane, as they all did. And now he understood what Caleb had told him. Jared was a cold prick to those he didn’t know, but otherwise he was an alright guy. He had kind of frightened Jake a few times with his not so subtle questions when they’d gone down one of the advanced runs- especially since he knew the guy was packing- but beyond the weird questioning, he’d had fun getting back into snowboarding and on such a high rush run as well. They’d both had a good time, he thought as he followed the two to one of the chair lifts, and now he was more than sure he wouldn’t come to regret accepting Damien’s invite.  


* * *

 

 “Jared has some nerve taking Jake away with him,” Sheera grumbled from beside Mai. “He’s probably scaring the shit of him!”

     The two of them were sitting at the side of the board park, watching the boys. They sat together with their legs stretched out, snowboards still attached their boots.

     Mai smiled slyly at her best friend. “Aren’t you supposed to be thankful?”

     “He’s here now, isn’t he?” she cried. “Might as well take advantage and bug the hell out of him. Here he can’t fire me no matter what I do.”

     Mai laughed. “He wouldn’t fire you anyway, She. You know he wouldn’t.”

     “Still, Jared’s an ass.”

     Another boarder came over and dropped down beside Sheera onto his back. He twisted over, propping himself up with an elbow and perched his sunglasses up on top of his hot pink beanie. Damien grinned. “Stop bitching, She. We’re meeting them in an hour at Vista Haus. Jared and Jake are taking Shane down Four O’Clock and then after they’ll come back up and meet us.”

     “That’s a good trail to get him comfortable with the board,” Mai said. “Nice and long, not too boring but mild enough, and no chance of interference from enthusiastic intermediates,” she ended with a laugh as Tony and Caleb flew by them over a ramp, shouting out with a jump well done.

       Sheera turned to Damien. “How’d you know what they were doing?”

       “Jared called me a minute ago.”

       “They’re heading to the top right now?”

     “They were on the chairlift.”

       Sheera grinned, turned to Mai, and pulled out her camera. “Mom and Aunt Daisy would never forgive me if I passed up a perfectly good photo op of Shane.”

       Mai laughed and got to her feet, helping Sheera do the same. “If we hurry we can go up and wait for them at the half way mark. Coming Damien?”

     Damien was sitting up now, biting his thumbnail and staring off at nothing. “Um… No, I’ll stay here. Meet you up top.”

       Sheera and Mai watched him, knowing the nail biting habit was a nervous quirk. “Damien?” she asked.

       He turned to them, looking slightly panicked and nervous as all hell. But then he shook his head and smiled. “Shoo! Go on! Don’t want to miss cutie.”

       The two waved, knowing they wouldn’t get anything out of him now, and trained their boards into the right direction and rode down the rest of the hill until they came to the chair lift that would take them half way up the mountain.

       “Hope we didn’t miss them,” Sheera said after they’d slipped off the chairlift and leisurely boarded to where skiers and boarders could connect to several trails.

     “Pretty sure we didn’t,” Mai said as they veered off onto the green Four O’Clock trail. They boarded down for a couple of minutes before going off to the side where several other groups loitered.

     Sheera withdrew her camera again, Mai did the same and they kept their eyes open. Only a few minutes went by before they spotted Shane, Jake, and Jared.

     “Huh. Not bad,” Mai said of Shane’s form as she lifted her camera. The guys were about five yards up the trail. Easy to see thanks to Shane’s bright blue jacket and green beanie.

       “He probably caught on quick because of skateboarding. At least with being able to balance properly. Otherwise, Shane’s always been a quick learner. He’s nerdy like that… Geez,” Sheera muttered as she lifted her camera and started snapping pictures. “Jake’s too hot for his own good.”

       Mai snickered but didn’t reply as she was busy taking her own photos.

       They each took a number of photos of the mostly unsuspecting trio, waited until they passed, and then went after them, knowing full well Jared had seen them probably about the same time they had spotted the guys.

       “They’re good with Shane, very patient,” Mai said after a moment when Jake reached out to grab Shane’s shoulder, giving it a small tug to correct his stance on the board as the trail steepened slightly.

     A couple minutes after, Shane wobbled, veered right into Jake, and they both tumbled to the ground. Sheera laughed and quickly withdrew her camera again, taking more shots than she probably should have. She then stowed her camera away and she and Mai finally went to join them.

       Shane was laughing as Jared helped him get back to his feet. “Sorry, Jake.”

       “Notta problem. It happens.”

       “Hey, cuz!” Sheera yelled, coming up behind him. “Having fun?”

       Her sudden appearance surprised him so much that he fell again, swinging his arms to fall back on his ass. When Sheera smirked down at him, Shane grinned and launched a handful of snow at her face. She ducked, but did so in such a quick way that she also fell on her ass. Mai stood back and continued to take pictures, laughing quietly while Shane laughed and pointed at her.

       “What are you two doing up here?” Jared questioned, hooking a hand under Shane’s arm and hoisting him up.

       “Had to get pictures of Shane’s first time on the slopes,” Sheera answered as she eyed the hand held out to her, a malicious light in her eyes.

       Jake grinned. “Don’t even think about it, darlin’.”

       Sheera sighed as she took his hand. “Fine,” she huffed as he hoisted her up, using one hand around hers and slipping an arm around her waist when she wasn’t prepared for it. “But I swear by the end of this trip, I will have pushed you over a cliff.”

       Jake pulled her up against him. “Looking forward to it.”

       Sheera ignored Shane and Mai’s annoying laughter and smiled sweetly at Jake. “What are the rules on sexual harassment?”

     “That’s office talk, Sheera. We’re not in the office.”

     “You can let go of me now, Jake.”

     “And if I don’t?”

     “I’ll find a way to knee you even with this board strapped to my boots.”

     “No you wouldn’t.”

     She smiled sweetly again and Jake winced before reluctantly releasing her. She would. When they separated, the two turned to find they’d been left behind by the others. “Assess,” she muttered.

     Jake bumped her shoulder. “Come on, Sheera. Show me what you’ve got. I’m thinking you don’t have much, what with that outfit,” he said, peering down at her tight ski pants that one usually did not wear when going snowboarding. It was surprising, but then again, Sheera and her friends never followed the norm and still seemed to prosper. He grinned. “You look like a Betty.”

     Sheera looked affronted for about three seconds before smirking. “A challenge, Jake?”

     “Yep.”

     She grinned in anticipation. “Let’s go!”

     Several lengths down the trail, Jared looked over at Shane. “You’re doing well, Shane. Think probably sometime tomorrow you could move on to the blue trails.”

     “Yeah? Thanks, you’ve helped me a lot-”

     Two boarders flew by very near them, surprising Shane, and he would have fallen again if Jared hadn’t grabbed his arm. “Bitch!” Shane shouted after his laughing cousin.

     “Bloody showoffs,” Jared muttered.

     “Leave the two lovebirds alone,” Mai laughed. The more fun Sheera had with Jake, the more likely she would get over her reservations about being with him or at least give him a chance, Mai thought.

       By the time they were back at the bottom, Jared’s phone was going off, Sheera and Jake were spotted sitting on a bench talking and Shane was vibrating with adrenaline and exuberance, talking to Mai a mile a minute. As Jared answered his phone, he thought Shane would probably need a good snog to calm him down.

     “Princess.”

     _“Bastard, where are you?”_ Damien asked in that tone of voice that demanded immediate answers.

“Are you even at the lodge yet?”

_“…no. We’re on the lift.”_

“Then stop being so impatient. We’re heading up now.”  

    _“Okay.”_ The meekness of that answer had Jared smirking smugly. _“Jared?”_

     “Yes?”

     Damien cleared his throat several times before he spoke again. And his words were a hoarse whisper. _“I hate you.”_ Click.

     Jared pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it. Being rather quick in the mind, and being familiar with the different tones of Damien’s voice, he knew not to take those words at face value. He’d heard what Damien was really trying to say.

     “You look very pleased with yourself.”

     Jared wiped the smile off his face as he looked up to find Shane, Mai, Jake, and Sheera standing in front of him. Mai had been the one to speak and she had a little knowing smile on her face. “Are you ready?” he demanded of them.

     Without waiting for an answer, he shoved off towards the ski lifts, knowing Mai and Sheera would help Shane. The kid didn’t really like the ski lifts and Jared didn’t blame him. For first timers, the lifts were a pain in the ass, especially when you were supposed to use them with your equipment still on. But Shane had listened closely to what he and Strathom had told him the first time they went up the mountain. They’d taken to instructing him on that once they found out the instructor at the snowboarding classes had failed to mention how to get on and off a ski lift… Jared was still irked by this. It was way harder for snowboarders to dismount. Especially beginners. But again, Shane was a fast learner, and he had help on both sides each time. But enough about that, Jared was now extremely eager and impatient to get to the top so that he could get his hands on Damien.

      

* * *

 

 “Calm down, dude!” Caleb murmured and then looked around at all the skiers and boarders lingering around outside the Vista Haus. “Anyone gotta paper bag around here?” he called.

     Tony rolled his eyes before focusing on the man standing and shaking between him and Caleb. Damien was having a minor panic attack and they didn’t know why. All they knew was that one moment Damien was fine, and then the next moment he was freaking out. “What happened?” he asked as he bent down to unlatch Damien’s boots from his board.

     “Oh God. OhGodohGodohGodohGod…..” Damien muttered over and over. “What did I do?!” he screeched, drawing much attention to them from the crowds swarming about the lodge.

     “What _did_ you do?” Caleb asked in exasperation.

     Damien rounded on him and grabbed a handful of Caleb’s army camo snow jacket. “I told him… I told him I hated him! Why did I do that?”

       “You do that all the time,” Tony answered.

       “No!”

       “You do,” Caleb said with a nod.

       “But I never mean it, and he knows that!”

       “Yeah, we all know it.”

       Damien whined loudly and buried his face against Caleb’s chest. Tony was looking worried, but Caleb, after thinking on it a moment more, pulled in a breath and his eyes widened. Sometimes Mai’s uncanny intuition rubbed off on him, even when she wasn’t near. “Dude, you… you made it clear?”

     “Shit, he needs a drink,” Tony said, grabbing Damien and steering him up the wooden steps leading into the lodge. “Need a drink too.”

     “Second that,” Caleb answered, jogging up after them. He pulled off his reflective snow glasses just as Tony did as they entered the lodge and then reached over to take Dame’s off as well. Damien’s eyes were wide blown saucers of fear.

      “What if I ruined everything?” Damien cried dramatically. “I’ve ruined everything!”

     “Where the fuck is he?” Tony muttered to himself as Caleb pushed Damien onto a vacant stool at the bar.

     “Yo! Three shots of Tequila,” Caleb called to the bartender, stabbing the bar right in front of Damien. “And a small paper bag if you have one.”

     The bartender took a second to watch Damien hyperventilating. Damien lifted his eyes and glared. “What the fuck are you staring at?!” he shrieked.

     “Man, just go,” Caleb said.

      “Shrod? That you—but of course it is. No other man would ever think wearing a hot pink beanie is acceptable. Throwing a tantrum already? How predictable.”

       The three friends groaned before turning around to face the person who’d spoken. Damien scrunched up his nose. “Oh God. You’re here again. I was sure this place had upped their standards after last year.”

     Damien and his friends had been vacationing at Snohomish for years, every year, and because of that they had met many people; associates on Damien’s part and some friends- part time- and then some others who were well off and always came each winter, such as the man standing before them.

     Tyson Bouldevere. A young dark haired man with a long face and brown eyes. Tyson thought he was God’s gift to women. To Damien’s everlasting baffled amusement, there were always women around that thought he actually was, though they couldn’t help but being tricked. Tyson was attractive. He was also the heir to a lucrative business, though nothing as grand as Shrod Corp. Tyson thought he had an advantage since he was old money whereas the Shrod wealth had only been accumulated within three generations. Naturally, Damien and Tyson did not get along.

     Most of that had to do with Tyson’s attitude. He was the epitome of a snob, in that he always ignored Tony and Caleb because they didn’t have the necessary familial funds. They weren’t old money. If he wasn’t ignoring them completely, then he would instead try to put them down on occasion. Tony and Caleb could only take so much of that bullshit before they became violent and scared Tyson away from them.

     Damien often became annoyed with Tyson because the man constantly tried to hit on Mai and Sheera, regardless that they were of the same caliber as Tony and Caleb. But because they were females, Tyson didn’t have a problem with them not being as wealthy as he was. Though Mai wasn’t exactly common class, thanks to her family, but no one was supposed to know that. Despite all this mild animosity, it was usual to see Damien and his friends mingling with Tyson’s entourage.

     Tyson’s friends were all upper crust snobs as well, but most of them didn’t really have problems with Tony and Caleb. Mai and Sheera got along great with the women of Tyson’s entourage as well. One of Tyson’s problems with Damien and his group was for the fact most of the girls in his entourage loved Tony, Caleb, and Damien. Even though those girls came from money, they were always chatting up the three men. Caleb because he was cool and he was obviously straight and along the years a rumor had been started about how big his dick was. (Damien had started that rumor for kicks just to annoy Tyson and watch his girls gaggle all over Caleb. Mai had been furious with him.)

     They were always gagging over Tony because, let’s face it, he was hot, way hotter than Tyson, and none of that group had realized yet that Tony was gay. He didn’t advertise it like Damien did. When he was hit on, Tony simply ignored it or put down advances as nicely as possible. Tyson seethed to see his girls always all over Tony, an apparent nobody with no money. It was always too funny to watch Tyson seethe with jealousy at those times.

     Damien wondered how relieved Tyson would be when he realized Tony was gay. It went without saying that Tyson would soon find out. Damien knew Tony had no intentions of keeping his relationship with Shane on the down low just because they weren’t in Allmsted anymore. Those two were still in the honeymoon stage, so it was basically a fuck you to the rest of the world for a while. Especially since neither Tony or Shane cared to hide their sexuality. They wouldn’t hide themselves and were strong enough to deal with prejudices. But Damien also knew that wouldn’t have too much of a problem up here. He never did. And he was always making sure his sexuality was blaringly obvious.

     One thing that made Tyson bearable was the fact he knew not to go too far with his comments concerning Damien. He knew exactly what happened to people who went too far with the Shrods. People tended to disappear or their credit suddenly dried up; old money or not. Tyson’s own father was terrified of Damien’s father and always warned his son to watch himself with the way he interacted with Shrod jr. And nothing too terrible happened between the groups anyway, because despite it all, they were all there to have a good time.

     And really, Tyson wasn’t exactly a horrible person. He just liked to act as if he were better than Damien and his friends. That was really his only drawback. He might be an alright guy if he’d stop trying so hard with the wealthy rich kid persona. Damien was a rich kid and everyone knew it, and yet he could act himself and still people would know it. But he was still likeable because he wasn’t shoving it in people’s faces all the time. It didn’t rule him and he got along with people from every class.

     Tony and Caleb suspected Tyson actually liked Damien in some ways- not in that way, since he was a straight up womanizer- but Damien was such a peculiar character that acting disdainful was the only way he could cope with him. And Damien, he put up with Tyson most times, so that was an indication that he didn’t exactly hate Tyson.

    Tyson sidled his way up to the bar to lean up against it next to Damien. “It doesn’t matter how high the standards are. I will always surpass them.”

     Damien snorted. “Didn’t you say you were through here? Thought you were going to Europe this year?”

       “The European fad has faded.”

     Damien rolled his eyes. “Conformist,” he muttered before taking up the shot that had been put in front of him and shooting it back. “So where’s your entourage? Refused to come with you finally? It must really suck not to have _real_ friends.”

     Tyson laughed. “They’re around… Is that the best you have for me today, Shrod? You disappoint me. I’d been looking forward to this all year,” he said, shaking his head mournfully.

     “Fuck off,” Damien snapped. “In case you can’t tell, I’m having issues. Want me to take it out on you?”

     “Take a hike, Tyson,” Caleb fairly growled and barreled his way between them. “He doesn’t need your shit right now.”

     Damien smiled and dropped his head against Caleb’s arm while Tyson glowered at Caleb and backed away from him as if he had the plague. “See you around, Shrod. Try and dress like a man next time, for Christ’s sake.”

     Damien scrambled off his stool and rounded on Tyson. “Fuck you, pussy eater!”

     Caleb hurriedly pressed hands on Damien’s shoulders to keep from pouncing on Tyson, who threw a smirk at Damien over his shoulder as he walked away.

     “Where’s my baby?” Tony muttered from the other side of Damien, head craned back to peer over the lunch crowds towards the door.

       “Bastard said they were on their way up,” Damien whispered. “Bet he comes in here like an excited puppy again. Bet he had a blast.”

     Tony grinned a wolfish grin in anticipation. He loved an excited Shane. Caleb rolled his eyes at Tony’s obvious love sickness before turning back to Damien who had just dropped his head in his hands. “Dame?”

     “I’ve fucked it up,” Damien moaned.

     “Man, cut that shit out! You messed up nothing.”

     “We should find a table,” Tony said as he turned back to the bar to take his shot.

     “Yeah,” Caleb replied and grabbed Damien’s arm, dragging him up while Tony grabbed their snowboards. “Upstairs?”

       Tony nodded and turned to head towards the stairs. If it was a full house, usually the upstairs had tables open when the lower level didn’t and Tony didn’t want to waste time going around searching for an empty table on the ground floor. Not when Damien was having issues.

       They were halfway to the stairs when someone pressed against Damien’s back; hands landing on his hips, fingertips rising up under his jacket and sweater. Damien instantly knew who it was. From touch and smell. Jared had a heavenly scent. All masculine and natural, and a little bit musky, since Jared had probably sweat a bit after several runs on the slopes. Damien shivered in delight and then moaned as one hand slipped completely beneath his gear to caress his stomach while the other hand trailed down over his hip and down over his thigh to squeeze lightly, thumb resting in the crease between his pelvis and thigh.

       Teeth nipped at his earlobe. “How do you move in these pants, sweetheart?”

       Damien sagged against Jared in relief. “They look tight, but are really easy to move in. I had them specially made. Just for me. ”

       “Of course you did. Bet they cost a fortune… are we going up?”

       “Hmmm,” Damien answered absently, eyes closed in contentment. Who cared about going upstairs? He wanted to lean against Jared like this forever.

       Jared’s low chuckle vibrated throughout his body, sending him shivering again. “We’re blocking the way.”

       “Make them go around,” Damien whined.

       “Tony!”

       Damien opened his eyes just in time to see Shane breeze by him to race up the stairs. Tony stopped upon hearing Shane and watched his boyfriend hurry up to him. Shane was already talking excitedly before Tony could even wrap a possessive arm around his shoulders, though Shane did pause long enough to accept the short chaste kiss to his lips. But then he was off again as if he never stopped, leaving Tony grinning.

   “Just ran into Dinah. Does that mean Tyson’s here too?” Sheera asked as she came up, taking Damien’s elbow in hand and steering him up the stairs. He allowed it only because Jared remained plastered against his back as they walked up.

     “He’s around.”

     “Didn’t he say he was going to Europe? I was so looking forward to not seeing his face this year.”

     Damien laughed. “Apparently Europe isn’t the scene.”

     “A pity.”

     Soon they’d procured a table and were eating a nice lunch. Throughout lunch, Damien couldn’t help but notice Jared looked kind of annoyed. But he knew the annoyance had nothing to do with him or their table mates, so he wondered what was wrong with Jared now.

   When they were finished with lunch, the group split up again. This time Shane went with Damien, Jared, and Tony. Mai and Caleb headed off together, and Jake and Sheera went off on their own. No one commented on it, but there were several hidden grins when Jake said he’d go off on his own and Sheera immediately said fuck that with an eye roll. Jake had a shit eating grin on his face as they left the lodge, though he made sure to hide it whenever Sheera looked his way.

     “He’s clever,” Jared said as they left after the two.

     Mai laughed. “Yeah, I’d wondered how he was going to do it. But I see he’s going to let her think she’s calling all the shots when in fact he is.”

     “Where you guys headed?” Tony asked.

     “Peak 9. You?”

     Damien and Tony turned to Shane and looked at him with small thoughtful frowns before turning to each other. “Both have pretty good runs,” Damien said. He turned back to Caleb when Tony nodded. “We’ll probably alternate between here and nine.” They were currently on Peak 8.

       “Cool. Catch you later!”

       “Jared!” Damien shouted after his ass had been groped for like the tenth time.

       Said man smirked as he turned away to scan the crowds mingling about. It really wasn’t his fault. It was Damien’s fault for putting his arse on display like this. And it wasn’t his fault there didn’t seem to be one place that was relatively private. He figured he’d just have to be patient and wait until they’d gone back to their lodge before peeling those pants off his lover. If he were any less of a man, he would have huffed. But he didn’t, thankfully distracted when he heard Tony talking to Shane in reassuring tones.

     “Don’t worry about it, Shane. We’ve been looking forward to teaching you. So if you go off by yourself, it’s just going to disappoint us. Besides, by the time we’re finished with you, you’ll be able to hit up the jib park.”

     “I wouldn’t go that far,” Jared said. “You don’t want him to hurt himself.”

     Shane rolled his eyes. “Okay, first: I’m not ten, Jared. You do realize that, right?”

     “If you were then Tony is a nasty pervert and deserves to go to prison,” Damien said, laughing. Tony flicked him off.

       “And I think I can determine what I can and cannot do. I’ll let you know. Can we go now? I want to go down Four O’Clock again.”

       “Let’s go then, cutie! We’re wasting daylight!”

       Damien and Shane sat down on a bench to attach one of their boots to their boards as Jared and Tony had already done. Tony knelt in front of Shane to do it for him. Shane didn’t complain. Just grinned at his boyfriend and slid his shades back down over his eyes.

       Damien looked up at Jared and quirked an impatient violet brow. Jared glared at Tony’s back a moment before complying with his demanding lover’s obvious wants. Damien smiled sweetly. But that smile disappeared when he heard a cell phone going off somewhere nearby.

     The ringtone had him freezing in place; had him holding his breath and making his fingers curl tightly within his gloves. The ringtone, the music was a classical piece and it brought to the front of his mind several unsavory memories of his childhood. Danse Macabre. It was _her_ favorite piece of music. As a child he’d heard it about a million and one times. Mostly while she terrorized him.

     He started breathing again, taking in full gulps of air even as his eyes narrowed. He would not be scared witless by some stupid ringtone. Especially when it was just a coincidence. Damien nodded to himself. Just a coincidence. It didn’t mean _she_ was here. Why would she be? How could she be with Jared here?

     Even after thinking this, Damien still scanned the crowds after Jared helped him off the bench; blue eyes narrowed slightly, looking for a woman who looked remotely like his mother. He didn’t see anyone; neither did he hear that horrible tune anymore.

     “Damien?”

     Said man turned and smiled reassuringly at Jared, who’s eyes were narrowed slightly in sharp scrutiny. Damien shook his head. He would not be terrorized by his memories any longer. “Are we ready?”

     Despite his determination, the uneasiness and fear didn’t leave him for several hours. The cold never did. And the cold he felt had nothing to do with the snow around him, though he tried desperately to think otherwise. He didn’t want to be terrorized by memories anymore.


	25. Episode Twenty-Five

They spent nearly the entire day snowboarding and despite Shane being a beginner, Tony had never had a better time. He suspected Shane felt the same way, what with the permanent wide smile on his face. And Shane was a fast learner; much of that had to do with his confidence and his willingness to listen to the pointers he, Damien, and Jared gave him. He did take some tumbles that scared Tony, but after the first time he freaked out over his boyfriend, and having Shane yell at him for treating him like a newborn, Tony knew better than to visually show just how worried he became every time Shane fell. Jared would always look at him at these times with understanding. Understanding both Shane’s annoyance and Tony’s fear for his boyfriend’s safety.

     Towards the end of the day, they headed back to the jib park at Damien’s insistence. Tony hadn’t really wanted to go because Shane couldn’t really do anything there yet but Shane had encouraged it, saying he’d just sit back and watch. It was then Tony realized the day was catching up to Shane and he was getting tired. So they went to the jib park where Shane climbed on top of a table to sit and watch and Tony did the same, watching Jared and Damien take on the park obstacles. It was funny watching Damien shock the hell out of Jared- and everyone else around- whenever he pulled fantastic acrobatic moves out of his ass. Damien was a fucking genius on the half-pipes. Tony shook his head. People were always underestimating Damien. In his case, you really shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

     Shane had a great time watching Sheera and Mai after they arrived and then went on to prove to all the hard core snowboarders that they weren’t some simpering posers only there to seek attention. The two girls had a great time embarrassing some of those boys, and some of the board girls that had sneered at them just because of what they were wearing.

     When Shane leaned over and started to massage his thighs, Tony knew they should go before the brat decided he wanted to go some more when he really shouldn’t. And it wasn’t like they didn’t have two whole weeks to come back. He hopped off the table and leaned in close, caging his boyfriend in, sealing their lips together. When he pulled back, Shane was grinning and blushing and just looked supremely happy. “Ready to leave? I want to show you something.”

     Shane nodded and let Tony help him off the table. He then smirked when he saw several girls shooting him jealous glares after seeing Tony kissing him. Shane actually thought it was remarkable that he was being glared at due to jealousy instead of disgust for being openly gay. It was actually kind of awesome. He’d gotten used to it in Allmsted. Alternative couples weren’t rare there. But he’d expected bad things once out of the city. He’d expected it to be just as bad Freemon. There, hardly anyone was tolerable and Shane had learned that the hard way. He turned away from those thoughts, clenching his fists. He didn’t want to think about that right now.

     “We’re going,” Tony said to Caleb when the man came to a skidding halt beside them.

     “Cool. Gonna be at Rosario’s tonight?”  

    Tony shifted his eyes to Shane for a moment, frowning at the younger boy who was still watching their friends. Rosario’s was a night club in town that most of the college kids went to. Especially at the beginning of the Christmas break. A massive Welcome party. Which was that night. He didn’t know if Shane were ready for that yet. He wasn’t sure if Shane would ever be ready for that type of atmosphere again. He had done well today being on the slopes with so many people around, but being packed in a club was obviously different. “Not sure. Maybe.”

     “Hey, man. It’s cool if you don’t come.”

     Tony shrugged. “We’ll see. It’ll be up to Shane.”

     Caleb nodded in understanding. “K. I’ll let everyone else know.”

     “Later.”

       It wasn’t long before Shane and Tony had reached the base of the mountain and were in the lot they were keeping the snowmobiles in.

       “So where are we going? Not back to the cabin?” Shane asked as they hooked their snowboards onto mobile.

       “Nah. Someplace cool. You’ll like it,” Tony promised as he got onto the mobile, pulling out the key.

     “The cabin is pretty freaking awesome all by itself, dude,” Shane said as he climbed on behind and plastered himself against Tony’s back.

       “True.”

       They didn’t speak again for a while after that as Tony started the snowmobile. Shane lay his head against his boyfriend’s back and watched places and people zoom by as Tony drove them away from the town at the base of the mountain and back towards Shrod Resorts. It wasn’t until they’d passed the resort did Shane lift his head and really pay attention to where they were going, which was a trail that led into the woods very near the resort. Shane scooted even closer to Tony in his excitement, wondering where the brunet was taking him.

     Once on this trail, Tony revved the engine as if he knew it was deserted except for them, but maybe he only sped up just so Shane would hold on tighter. But whatever the case, Shane did hold on tighter because the trees were blurring by them now. With the direction they were going, Shane could look over Tony’s shoulder and through the trees to see that the sun was setting, which meant they were heading west somewhere. The trail rose suddenly into a steep incline and Shane gasped as they shot up the hill, his thighs gripping Tony’s flank instinctively. He didn’t hear it, but he certainly felt it against his chest when Tony laughed. Shane lightly bit the back of Tony’s neck in retaliation. He then soothed the action with a lick that lingered. Again he didn’t hear it, but he felt the responding moan.

       Tony suddenly hit the brakes and jerked the mobile to the left just as they burst from the tree line, leaving them skidding to the side. They stopped about fifteen paces away from the edge of a cliff. As Tony cut the engine, Shane took a moment to slow his breathing and take deep breaths before shoving his fists against Tony’s back.

     “Asshole! Scared the shit out of me!”

     Tony laughed. “That was the point.”

     “We could have fallen!”

     “No way. I’ve been doing that for years. Now look,” Tony went on before Shane could go on bitching at him.

       Shane looked to where Tony was pointing and his lips parted in a silent gasp. The sun was before them, setting behind all of Snohomish. From where he and Tony were perched on the cliff, he could see the entire snow covered mountain; could see the peaks and those skiing on them; the chair lifts. At the base he could see the small frozen lake which was made into an ice rink during the winter and to the left at the base was the historic town. And right now the sun was setting behind all of that and it looked gorgeous.

    Shane pressed his cheek against Tony’s back. “It looks amazing.”

     Tony reached back and tugged on his arm. Shane got off the snowmobile, took two steps, and then climbed back on in front of his boyfriend, just as Tony wanted and he was immediately pulled back against his boyfriend’s chest.

       “Do you want to go to this party tonight? At Rosario’s?” Tony asked after a few silent peaceful minutes, knowing Shane had heard Caleb and the others talking excitedly about it. “There’s bound to be a shit load of college kids there.”

     “Yeah, I want to go.”

     Tony was surprised Shane had answered without even thinking about it. He was also wary. “Shane-”

     “I want to go,” Shane repeated firmly. “I can imagine what it will be like. I won’t freak out on you. I won’t embarrass you or anything.”

     “That’s not what the fuck I’m worried about, Shane! Jesus!”

     “Besides, you’ll be stuck on me like glue, right?”

       “Bet your sweet ass I will. Still-”

       Shane grinned and snuggled closer to his boyfriend. “I swear I’ll tell you if I want to go or I get panicky.”

       Tony dropped his chin on top of his boyfriend’s head. “You better.”

     They remained quiet for another few minutes before Shane broke the silence this time. “Um… Tony?”

       “Hm?”

       “Uh, I gotta ask you something.”

       Tony heard the embarrassment in Shane’s voice. He backed up and demanded Shane turn around to face him.

     “Why?”

     “Because you’re embarrassed and I want to see your face when you ask whatever it is you’re going to ask.”

     Shane rolled his eyes but he did rearrange himself until they were face to face on the snowmobile with their knees touching. Tony loved the blush he was looking at in the dimming daylight, as well as the skittish gaze.

     “Okay, now you can ask.”

       “Asshole.”

       “Yup.”

       Shane blew out a breath. “You know, um… you know when we have sex…” he shifted and looked away.

       Tony grinned. “I’m pretty sure I’m awake when we fuck.”

       Shane huffed out a laugh and turned back to him. Looking at him with big blue eyes and a shy smile. Tony groaned and leaned forward, grabbing the back of Shane’s neck to pull him in for a kiss. Shane allowed it for a minute before pulling away.

     “Spit it out, brat.”

     “I’m aggressive. In bed.”

     Tony nodded slowly, wondering where this was going.

     “And you… you don’t seem to mind. Do you?”

     Tony’s eyes widened. “Are you seriously asking if I mind that you’re the topiest bottom ever? Fuck no I don’t mind! Hell no, baby! It’s the sexiest thing in the world!”

     Shane seemed to sag in relief and Tony was sitting there shaking his head in disbelief. Shane had been worried about that? Really, he thought he had made it clear that the more aggressive Shane was, the hornier he became. Because that’s how it was.

       “Fucking idiot,” he said.

     Shane flushed. “Shut up, asshole! And you know what? Topiest isn’t even a fucking word!”

     Tony couldn’t stop smiling. “Nerd.” He sealed their mouths together before the brat could verbally retaliate.

    

* * *

 

 Jared slipped his cell back into his jacket, just having finished a short conversation with Tony, and zipped up the pocket before retuning his attention to the group at large. His eyes swept over to his lover first and found Damien was still with that bloke Tyson and they were still playing their ‘anything you can do, I can do better’ game. Mai and Caleb were at the table Shane and Tony had been at earlier; Mai was straddling her boyfriend’s lap and those two were whispering sweet lovey dovey things to each other. Jared barely managed to keep from cringing.

     Pulling his eyes away from those two, Jared quickly found Sheera, who was trying her damned hardest to keep people from seeing her blush every time Strathom paid her a compliment- which was really all the time- as well as keeping her jealousy a secret whenever some other woman came across Strathom, obviously seeking his attention. Sheera’s jealousy looked a bit dangerous every time Jared caught on to it. Strathom, the smart bloke that he was, didn’t outright flirt back, but he didn’t ignore them either and Jared knew he was doing that on purpose. That way if Sheera wanted his attention, she would have to pull it. It would be her call and once again Strathom could act as if he hadn’t been making the moves all along. It was apparent Strathom really did know Sheera exceptionally well. He wondered if Sheera was aware of that fact.

     Jared looked away from that group to survey the area. There were some skiers and snowboarders nearby that drew his attention. Not because they were doing anything suspicious, but the fact that they weren’t and were only lingering around. A skiing couple stood about a yard away speaking quietly, looking like they were trying to decide which way to go. Back behind them towards the chair lift sat three boarders on a bench outside of a warming hut. In the opposite direction was another skier sitting in the snow with a map of the slopes in his hand. And within the jib park where he was currently, there were four boarders, three men and a woman, blending in by doing continuous tricks.

     All of these people were employed by Shrod Corp as security detail. Jared had met them all before, knew every one of them by name, had files on all, and knew not one of them would hesitate in saving Damien’s life. The security team blended in real well, enough that even though Damien had made them- much to Jared’s surprise, again- the princess didn’t throw a tantrum. It was kind of odd that, as well as the fact Jared had caught his very gorgeous and temperamental partner go still multiple times, his head shooting up to quickly look around him. And then he’d get this relieved look on his face and go back to doing whatever he was doing, which was arguing and competing with Bouldevere over stupid shite, like how many times they’ve each been on the cover of _Forbes_ and who had the better standing in the business world.

     That was a ridiculous argument, seeing as how Damien had been on the cover this past summer with the title _The Prince of Big Business_ with a chart behind him showing the world just how well off Shrod Group was. Obviously Damien was the winner of this particular argument, hands down. And Jared had to admit that Damien had looked good on the cover of that magazine. Sitting on a throne with a brilliant and smug smile on his face, eyes alight with power. Yeah, so obviously they were fighting over stupid shite. Jared had a suspicion Bouldevere was only continuing the argument just for the sake of the argument. He must know he didn’t come close to Shrod standings in the business world.

       “Are you quite finished?” he asked, coming over. “You sound like a pair of toddlers.”

       Bouldevere sneered at him. “And you are?”

      “This hetero is being mean to me,” Damien complained, gesturing to Tyson.

       Completely ignoring Bouldevere, Jared lifted hands to Damien’s beanie to fix it since it was slipping, leaving Damien’s left ear bare to the cold. “You’re egging him on.”

     Damien smirked and looked at Tyson, who rolled his eyes. “Maybe.”

     “Who’s this, Shrod?” Tyson asked again, taking note of the gentle way in which he was touching Damien’s head and the flush on Damien’s face as he stared at the man. Damien was blushing like a girl. Tyson would have automatically assumed boyfriend but he knew Shrod didn’t play that way. If he were a womanizer then Damien was definitely a man eater.

       “Shrod?”

       “He’s my bastard,” Damien replied breathlessly.

       Jared smirked. “Mm,” he said in agreement, lowering his head, pressing their lips together as his hands descended to Damien’s hips and then around to cup his lover’s arse before tugging and pulling Damien against him.

       “Christ! Not right in front of me!” Tyson cried as he backed up. “God, Shrod! A fucking warning!” He spun around, muttering under his breath, “don’t mind anyone being gay, but that’s shit I don’t want up close and personal…” He snorted in annoyance before looking over his shoulder to find they were still at it, just as heavy as all shit, and that guy’s hands were plastered against Damien’s ass as if super glued there. “For fuck’s sake!”

     Caleb, who had pulled away from Mai just in time to see Jared attack Damien’s mouth, laughed at Tyson’s expression. Dude had only been half a foot away. For once he could agree with Tyson. “Baby… Damien told Jared he loved him. You know, the ‘I hate you’ shit. He made it clear.”

     “That would explain the huge smile Jared had on his face earlier today right before we went to the lodge.” She turned in Caleb’s lap, spotted the two, and clapped. “Yay! They’re in love!”

     “Don’t say that too loud. Damien still had a panic attack right after until Jared showed up… but only because he thought Jared would react badly.”

     “Pshh!” Mai waved her hand with a laugh. “Jared’s the one going around with love in his eyes for the past few months. How could Damien miss that? None of us have.”

     “Um, baby... you’re talking about Damien here. The Queen of DaNile.”

     Mai giggled loudly at that.

     “GET A FUCKING ROOM!”

       Mai snickered as Sheera came into view, Jake close behind. Jared pulled away from Damien and sent Sheera one of his flat stares that could scare the shit out of anyone. Sheera jumped and then quickly moved to hide behind Jake. He didn’t blame her since now being faced with that glare, Jake felt a chill go down his spine. The man certainly was a bit frightening, and more so because he knew the guy carried loaded guns.

 

* * *

 

Shane took a deep breath as Tony led him down the sidewalk towards Rosario’s where their friends were waiting. He wanted to do this. He wanted to get back into the swing of things. He wanted to be able to go out with his boyfriend and his friends; go back to places they had gone before. To be able to eventually go back to the Haze whenever it reopened. But even though he wanted to do this, he was also scared out of his mind. He didn’t know how he wasn’t shaking all over. He really was terrified. And he hated the feeling. But he figured the sooner he got this over with, the sooner his fear of packed clubs and large crowds would go away. So he steeled himself and took comfort from Tony.

     Tony had his hand in a vice grip as they neared and only released him long enough to move in order to wrap around him from behind, making it to where they were almost one person. Shane didn’t really mind. He’d started panicking the moment the music from inside washed over him, though he made damn sure Tony couldn’t tell.

    When they met up with the others outside of the night club, Shane ignored the worried looks coming from all his friends. Every one of them. Even fucking Jake was looking at him in worry. Shane had to look away from them and it was at that point that he saw a sign sitting just outside of the nightclub’s doors.

     “Twenty-one and up only?” he snapped his attention back to the others. “You didn’t say-” he then spun around to glare at Tony. “You didn’t say!”

     “I didn’t say anything about that because it doesn’t matter.”

     “But I’m-”

     “It doesn’t matter, cutie,” Damien said firmly as he came up and wrapped an arm around Shane’s and led the group up the stairs to the door where a bouncer was waiting.

     The bouncer’s eyes scanned them all, noting they were clearly of age, and then his gaze landed on Shane. “ID,” he prompted and Shane held his breath.

     Damien tightened his arm around Shane’s and waved the other hand in an arc in front of the bouncer’s face. “You don’t need to see his ID,” he said. Shane would have laughed if he hadn’t been so apprehensive at the moment.

     The guy dared to roll his eyes at Damien. “ID,” he said again.

     Damien’s grinning eyes instantly morphed into rage. “Do you know who I am?”

     “No and I don’t fucking care. He’s not getting in until I see his ID.”

     It was then Jared imposed himself in front of Damien- who had taken one step toward the bouncer intent on scratching his eyes out. Jared rose a brow. “You really don’t need to see his ID.”

     The bouncer’s eyes widened slightly in recognition and then went back to Damien and finally he looked like he had just pieced together some important information. “Yeah, s-sure. Go on in. Sorry about that, Mr. Shrod,” he said to Damien.

       Jared held his hand out and the bouncer shook it. He then pulled back from Jared with a crisp hundred dollar bill in his hand.

       Damien balked as they walked in. “What the hell? Why’d he listen to you? I’m the Shrod heir, goddammit! My Jedi mind tricks work on everybody!”

       Shane laughed now that they’d passed the bouncer.

       Jared shook his head. “Because he remembered me from earlier in the day when I came to have a look around. He knows of you, but had never seen you before, thus he didn’t recognize you.”

       “Everyone should always recognize me before you, bastard!”

     “Not everyone reads _Forbes_.”

     “I remember him! He was here last year, so that means he should remember-”

     “How do you expect people to recognize you when you’re always changing your hair color?”

     “He’s got a good point, Dame,” said Caleb.

     “And why on earth did you give him money _after_ he let us in?”

     “Sometimes it pays to be attentive to others.”

     “What’s that even mean?” Damien demanded.

     Jared smirked. “You really are very spoiled, aren’t you?”

     “Up yours, Newton.”

     “I’d prefer it to be up yours.”

     The others of their group laughed lowly at the blush that sprang up on Damien’s face, as well as their friend having not one thing to say back. Jared smirked smugly as he continued to lead them inside.

     Their group walked around, away from most of the larger crowds, and found a table far away from the dance floor. Everyone sat down and kind of just looked around, the air around them thick with tension.

     Suddenly Shane had enough and slammed his fist down on the table. “Come on! I’m not about to freak out! Do you even want me here? Maybe I should leave if you guys are going to act this way with me around. ”

     “No!” Damien cried.

     “No, Shane,” Sheera murmured, reaching over to place a hand on his balled up fist. “We just…”

     “We were affected too, man,” Caleb murmured, staring right at him. “It was a horrifying experience for all of us. We almost lost you, dude. S’not something we’re gonna to forget for a long ass time. This is the first time any of us have been to a packed club since that night.”

       Shane blinked at him. Caleb was one who usually kept his feeling within. He was usually the mellow one. And at the hospital, it was Caleb who always had a smile on his face for Shane when everyone else looked about ready to cry and scream in fury. Shane had really appreciated Caleb’s attitude then and he appreciated the guy’s honesty now.

     He suddenly grinned and looked around. “So who’s getting the drinks?”

     It was Jared who released a breath then, quickly followed by Tony and everyone else. Mai grinned and jumped from her seat saying that she would. Jake also volunteered and no one was surprised when Sheera went with them to the bar. Tony was planning to stay right where he was, plastered against his boyfriend, while Jared settled for casing the place out from his seat. Damien quickly leaned into Shane and they were both caught up in a conversation- “I’m not gossiping, asshole!”- while Caleb and Tony started to talk.

     Sheera peered over her shoulder to look at Shane as she went to the bar with Mai and Jake. And then her eyes went over to the dance floor where already a large number of people were dancing and she felt her breath hitch with memories.

     An arm wrapped around her shoulders and squeezed gently. “Stop thinking about it,” Jake murmured. “He’s alive and kicking. We should celebrate that fact.”

     Sheera uncharacteristically let his arm stay where it was, and maybe she leaned into him a little bit too. “We?” she asked, cocking an eyebrow.

       A slow grin appeared on his face. “It’s hard not to like him. That kid can grow on anyone and fast.”

     “You’re just a soft hippie, Jake.”

     “And he’s your family.”

     “They’re all my family.”

     Jake nodded, knowing it for fact. They weren’t related by blood but that group was undeniably bonded together as family and even though he realized that, realized he was an outsider, he hadn’t any time to feel uncomfortable. Sheera, whether she realized what she was doing or not, had taken it upon herself to make sure he didn’t feel uncomfortable. The first two times, yeah, he had subtly manipulated her but after that he hadn’t had to do anything. She was always there to make sure he didn’t feel left out. Not that he thought that would really happen with this group. And if it weren’t Sheera, then Caleb was there too bringing him into the fold. And Mai was super sweet to him… so yeah, he hadn’t once felt disconnected from the group.

     Sheera was suddenly ripped away from his arm and spun around to face another woman, a brunette. She was smiling sweetly as she wrapped arms around Sheera and leaned forward to press a kiss on both her cheeks. “Sheera! I’m so glad you came tonight!”

     Sheera returned her hug but did not kiss her cheeks and instead smiled. “Dinah. Having fun so far? Tamed Tyson yet?”

     Dinah laughed. “He’s still impossible. Anyway, Sheera this is Charlotte,” she introduced, indicating the red head standing close by. Dinah didn’t look all that happy with having to introduce them and Sheera understood why when Charlotte came forward with a completely fake smile plastered on her face.

       Sheera raised a brow at her. She hated fake people. Behind her, Jake chuckled- because he knew that look- and turned away to the bar where Mai was giving out orders to the bartender.

       “I’ve heard a lot about you,” Charlotte said with a not so subtle look over at Sheera. Apparently she didn’t like what she saw with the little scrunch up of her nose. Sheera turned to Dinah with another flat look. Dinah shrugged helplessly with a pained smile and Sheera instantly forgave her. “Sheera? Really?”

     “Yes, that’s my name.”

     “Where’s your sword? Is He-Man around?” she asked with a sweet voice.

     Behind, Mai snorted while Jake started choking on the sip of drink he’d just taken in.

     “Wow. Very original.” Sheera then turned to Dinah. “Where did you find this bitch? Is she new to Tyson’s brainless harem?”

     Charlotte gasped in outrage and was narrowing her eyes while even though Dinah didn’t smile, Sheera could see the humor in her eyes. Dinah was alright. Dinah wasn’t a stupid simpering slut either. She was part of Tyson’s crew, but the two had been friends for a long time because their families were close.

   “Excuse me?” Charlotte screeched.

   Sheera winced and rubbed her ear. “Take her away,” she begged Dinah, “and when you come back around—and do come, I want you to meet my cousin—don’t bring this… girl. I’ll hurt her.”

     Dinah shifted a little so Charlotte couldn’t see her face, and finally she smiled in amusement and appreciation at Sheera. Then she turned and wrapped her arm around Charlotte’s and pulled the seething young woman away.

     Sheera turned back to the bar and accepted the drink Mai passed to her. “Uhg. Good riddance. Where does he pick up those…?”

     “Gold diggers,” Mai supplied.

     “Yeah, exactly—Dinah! Dinah is a classy girl! Intelligent too. Tyson’s an idiot. Doesn’t see what’s right under his nose!”

       “Not unlike some people I know,” Jake muttered into his drink and ignored the hard glare Sheera threw his way. Mai grinned at both of them before turning back to the bar where the last of their drinks had been placed. Mai nudged Sheera to get her friend’s attention and gestured to the drinks. The three carefully grabbed the nine drinks, three to each person, and headed back to their table.

     “You’re right, She,” Mai continued as they arrived at the table and set the drinks down. “And Dinah’s way prettier than most of the girls he goes after and he hasn’t ever once tried to hit on her. The one girl who isn’t actually after his money.”

     “Tyson’s just afraid of her brains. She intimidates him. Which is actually really funny if you think about it.”    

     “I’ll never get tired of your bitchy bluntness, Sheera,” Jake said as he sat. “Just glad you don’t react that way at work, otherwise we’d lose all our customers.”

     Sheera grinned. “You pay me. If it means money, I’ll tolerate anyone… Aside from that, here’s the cold hard truth, Jake. Not a lot of women frequent the shop anyway. You know why? ‘Cause your female lines suck. Change them.”

     She grinned a toothy grin at his annoyed look before turning to the rest of their party. Mai was back in Caleb’s lap and the two of them were having a race to see who could down their beer faster. Caleb won this time. Shane and Tony were sitting quietly while Shane’s eyes were fixed on the dance floor, watching as it and the club slowly filled with patrons as time wore on. He didn’t exactly look scared. Just a bit wary, and surprisingly curious. Sheera bit the inside of her cheek. Her cousin was going to do something he probably shouldn’t do yet. He was going to push himself to go out there and try to dance. Looking at Tony and seeing the lines of tension on his face, she was sure he was thinking the same.

     Pulling her eyes away from those two, she settled for staring at the couple across from her. Jared practically had Damien in his lap and Damien was squirming in place, staring out at the club, his lips parted slightly, heat rising in his face. Jared’s lips were very near his ear and as the spy’s hard cold eyes swept around the club, his lips were moving as he whispered things to Damien. Sheera mentally snickered. If Jared’s voice was anything like his eyes right now, dangerous, she knew Damien was probably seconds away from coming in his pants. Which explained the squirming because she knew for a fact Jared was saying vulgar things right now even if he didn’t look like it.

     Someone shrieked nearby and Shane jumped. He then dropped his head and stared at the table, a blush coloring his face. Tony grit his teeth and began to try and push Shane out of the booth. He was fully prepared to leave and drag his boyfriend with him, but Shane remained where he was and shook his head.

     “Well I want to dance,” Sheera declared as she slid out of her seat. She eyed Damien. “Sweetie? Do you have a hard on?” Damien swallowed thickly and nodded, while Jared smirked. “Great! Come dance with me.”

     Damien’s eyes lit up and he wiggled his way out of the booth by climbing out over the back of the seat and soon those two disappeared onto the floor. Mai, Caleb, and Tony laughed at the expression on Jake’s face.

       “She loves dancing with turned on gay men,” Mai explained. “It makes her horny.”

       Tony snorted and nodded while Shane giggled into his drink before drinking down half of it to curb his nerves.

       “I’m pretty sure I didn’t want to know that.”

       “Yeah ya did,” Caleb said, smirking at Jake.

       “But don’t worry,” Mai went on with a little devil grin. “You make her wet. All the time.”

       “Jesus!” Shane choked. “No! No, _I_ didn’t need to hear that!”

       Tony laughed and went on to pound on his disgusted boyfriend’s back while Jake stared at Mai as she went on. “Yeah. At work. The bitchier she is, the wetter-”

       “Fucking stop, Mai!”

       Mai smiled at Shane sweetly and Jared shook his head in amusement. Jake was still just kind of sitting there motionless, staring at the Japanese woman. She saw his look and rolled her eyes. “You can’t tell me you didn’t know that.”

       He blinked. “How would I know that?” he asked lowly.

       Shane had had enough of this conversation and quickly vacated the table. Tony was right behind him to ensure his boyfriend didn’t go and do something he shouldn’t at the moment. Jared watched them go, but Mai and Caleb were completely focused on Jake.

     Tony caught up with Shane and wrenched him back before he could make it any closer to the dance floor. “What are you doing?”

       “I wanna dance, Tony. Come on,” Shane said grabbing his hand and trying to drag his boyfriend to the dance floor.

       “NO!” Tony shouted above the music. He wrenched his hand away with a furious expression and took off in the opposite direction of the dance floor. Towards the exit of the club.

     Shane stamped down the anger he felt building and went after him, catching up just as Tony stepped onto the slick sidewalk outside. Shane shivered as the frigid air caressed his cooling skin. Shane ran and jumped to block Tony’s way. “What the hell, man?”

     Tony stopped and just stood there, staring at the ground near Shane’s shoes. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets.

     “Tony? I wouldn’t do it if-”

     “This has to do with me, not you,” Tony said lowly and finally he raised his head, brilliant green eyes dark and haunted. “ _I’m_ not ready.”

   Shane instantly felt like an asshole. A selfish asshole. A stupid selfish asshole, especially after what Caleb had said earlier. “M’sorry,” he muttered; flushing and looking at the ground between them. A moment later a cold hand landed on the side of his neck and he felt Tony shift closer to him.

     “How could you have known? I haven’t said anything,” Tony murmured.

     “Still, I’m a crappy selfish boyfriend to not have noticed.”

     “Maybe.”

     Shane raised his head, finding those same piercing eyes on him, though they were a bit less haunted now. “Want to get out of here?” he asked lowly, moving even closer, pressing a hand against Tony’s hip while his eyes darkened. “Be alone.”

     Tony’s hand on Shane tightened and he nodded. He’d just begun to dip his head towards Shane’s when someone called out to him. Curiously, Shane pulled back and looked to the side of his boyfriend, while Tony rolled his eyes and turned around, unsurprised to see two brunettes quickly making their way over while Tyson could be seen standing back with a scowl on his face, glaring heatedly. Tony was able to smirk at him before the girls were all over him, squealing and hugging him. Looking over his shoulder, he found his boyfriend standing there with a raised brow. Tony was relieved to see he only looked amused to see these girls hanging on him. Tony rolled his eyes before turning back to them.

     “Tony!”

     “Hey Darella, Macy. Good break so far?”

     “The best. Better now that we know you’re here… well come on, let’s get to dancing.”

     The girls had his arms in a vice grip. “Um... we were actually leaving. Going back to the resort.”

    “We?”

     Shane stepped up, flicking laughing eyes at his boyfriend first before sort of smiling at the girls who had their hands all over his boyfriend. “Hey.”

     Tyson chose that moment to come up. He had seen this guy before at the jib park and he must be close to those within Shrod’s entourage, with Candon especially since he had rarely seen the two apart, but he had never been introduced.

       “Shrod’s brought a few new people this year. Odd for him,” Tyson said, coming up.

       “Not really your business,” Tony murmured.

       Shane stepped forward, extending his hand. “I’m Shane. Sheera’s cousin.”

       Tony coughed when Shane didn’t elaborate their relationship and Shane grinned at him. Tony then glared, knowing Shane was having way too much fun with this. Enjoying his discomfort. Tyson’s gaze swept across Shane’s face for a moment before he slowly extended his hand to take Shane’s.

     “I’m middle class,” Shane said with a large smile before Tyson’s hand touched his.

     Tyson hesitated the briefest of moments before firmly taking his hand and shaking. “Tyson Bouldevere. Pleasure.”

     “Is it?”

      A small smirk lifted Tyson’s face. “Maybe.”

     Shane grinned. This guy wasn’t so bad. He didn’t know why the others were always bitching about him.

     Tony shook his head in exasperation. “It’s the eyes, isn’t it? And the smile. No one can resist his smile.”

     Shane dropped Tyson’s hand and turned to him. “You do sometimes.”

       “Yeah. When you’re being a little dipshit.”

       Shane flipped him off.

       Tony grinned and then turned to the two girls standing beside him who were looking at Shane curiously. “Like I said, we were leaving.”

      “It’s only ten-thirty, Tony! You can’t leave yet. We wanted to dance with you. You and your cute friend.”

       Tyson was back to glaring. Tony extracted himself from the girls and moved to stand in front of his quietly snickering boyfriend.

       “Let’s go back in for a little bit,” Shane suggested. “I’ll stay away from the dance floor,” he promised quietly.

       “Fine,” Tony sighed.

       The girls squealed, but they managed to keep to themselves and much to Tony’s relief, finally returned to Tyson’s side with flirty smiles.

     “You’re enjoying this way too much,” Tony whispered in Shane’s ear. “Drawing out the inevitable.”

       Shane twisted slightly and rose on his toes, breathing against Tony’s neck. “You love seeing that guy jealous.”

       Even when they’d just come out of the cold, Tony could feel the heat of Shane against him He could especially feel the heat of Shane’s burning lips against his neck as the brat grinned against his skin. Tony’s hand slid across Shane’s back, pressing heavy against the small of his back to press him closer. They walked like that through the club, with Tony making sure Shane never lost his footing until they were halfway to a darkened area near their table.

     Tyson popped up beside them, looking confused. His eyes going from Tony to Shane and seeing how close they were pressed against each other. “You said you’re Sheera’s cousin?”

     “That’s right,” Shane murmured before rising on his toes to bite at Tony’s jaw. The brunet groaned and grabbed a handful of hair, jerking Shane’s head back and fusing their lips together.

       “No. Way,” Macy breathed, watching the two while Tyson just stood there with his jaw dropped, feeling strangely relieved.

       Then he smirked. “I knew it! Shrod is contagious!”

       Tony jerked away from Shane’s sinful lips and tried to attack Tyson for that remark, but Shane’s grip around his neck locked and kept him in place and he stumbled back until he was finally pressed against the wall, bringing Tony with him.

     “No fighting,” Shane murmured before biting Tony’s neck.

     “He’s a douche.”

     “I think he’s funny. He seems alright.”

     “ARE YOU SERIOUSLY GAY?”

     Shane winced when a lot of people heard that and turned to stare. Tony glared and turned to the two girls, focusing on Darella, the one who’d shouted. “Yeah. Have a problem with it?”

     There was a slightly panicked look in Shane’s eyes, a look both girls saw as his gaze went around to the club’s patrons that were watching and closing in, because as humans, curiosity was a universal trait. “No,” Darella said, raising her hands. She smiled at Shane. “I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to shout it.”

     “It’s just a surprise. You didn’t say anything Tony and we’re always trying to get you!” Macy accused with a mock glare.

     Tony rolled his eyes and gestured to Shane. “This is my boyfriend, Shane. He’s also Sheera’s cousin.”  

    “I stand by what I said. He’s cute.”

     “Personally I think he’s hot,” Macy said, clearly eyeing Shane up and down with a leering smirk.

     Shane blushed and looked away. “T-thanks…”

     “Wait,” Tyson murmured, stepping closer and studying Shane, having not missed his reactions to the crowd’s attention. “You’re the one I read about. The one who was hurt in Damien’s club.”

     “What do you know about it?” Tony snarled, pressing closer to Shane who was not taking well to these turns of events.

     Tyson was still staring at Shane. “It pays to keep tabs on my competition.”

     “You are nowhere near to being Shrod competition and you know it.”

     “Is something going on here?” Damien asked, suddenly popping up beside them. “Do I get to be in a fight?”

     “No fighting!” Shane replied exasperatedly.

     Damien turned to Tyson with a glare. “Are you bothering cutie, asshole?”

     “I was just asking about the stabbing in one of your clubs. It was him, wasn’t it?”

     Damien’s face darkened. “Don’t bring that up. Don’t ever talk about that again.”

     Tyson ignored him. “The report said you were stabbed four times.” Macy and Darella gasped. “In all accounts you should be dead. You’re one lucky bastard.”

       Tony jerked away from Shane and grabbed the front of Tyson’s jacket. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Why would you keep talking about this?”

       “T-Tony?” Shane whispered, his words barely audible. Tony turned to look at him. Shane was visibly shaking now. “I w-want to go now. Can we go?”

       Tony didn’t give Tyson another thought and released the idiot to go wrap Shane in his arms. “We’re going, baby.”

     Without another word, the two left, Tony skirting around the largest groups of partiers.

     “Tyson,” Macy whispered, looking at him with something akin to horror while Darella was glaring at him.

     Tyson turned away from them just in time to get a fist to the face and he went sprawling to the ground. Only a second passed before Damien was straddling him, screaming at the top of his lungs and his fists hitting his face over and over again. “DON’T EVER…. BABY BROTHER…. FUCKING KILL YOU!”

       Back at their table, Jared straightened when he caught sight of many of the club’s patrons gathering off to the side of the dance floor and forming a circle. He could barely hear the screams of someone, but he did hear several people call out ‘fight!’. He groaned and quickly vacated the table, along with Caleb and Jake. He hurried through the club and pushed passed the crowd and wasn’t anywhere near surprised to see it was Damien beating up on someone, though he was surprised to find it was Bouldevere he was trying to kill with his fists. At times they didn’t get along, but their relationship wasn’t anything violent.

     Jared sighed before moving forward, wrapping both arms around his lover and wrenching him off the prone body.

       “I’m sorry,” Tyson croaked, hand flying up to press against this bloodied nose.

       “FUCKING BASTARD!” Damien screamed as he tried to get away from Jared’s restraining arms. “His heart stopped three times, mother fucker! And you think it’s a good idea to remind any of us? TO ASK HIM QUESTIONS? Do you have any idea how hard it was for him to come in here? _DO YOU_?”

       Jared’s eyes narrowed on Tyson, putting the pieces together, and he released Damien. Before the man could attack Tyson again, Caleb was on Damien, restraining him.

     “Dude!” Caleb yelled at Jared.

     “This bloke deserves to get his arse handed to him.”

       Damien growled and wrenched away from Caleb, pinning Tyson in place with his cold blue eyes. “I’m going to destroy you, Bouldevere,” he promised before stepping around him and stalking towards the exit.


	26. Episode Twenty-Six

By the time Damien returned to the lodge with the others, Shane was already upstairs in his room taking a long hot shower while Tony was slumped in a chair within the kitchen, glaring at the table while he nursed a glass of Jack Daniels.    

     “Damien, leave him alone for now,” Tony called out before his best friend could storm the lodge to find Shane.

     Only a second passed before Damien and Jared appeared in the kitchen with him. Sheera was the next to storm in, followed closely by Mai, Jake, and Caleb. Damien snatched the pink beanie off his head as he slumped down into a chair beside Tony. He threw the beanie across the large kitchen before grabbing the glass sitting in front of Tony and downing the whiskey.

     Tony laughed humorlessly, still glaring at the table. “Shane has the annoying habit of seeing the good in everyone at first. He gave Tyson the benefit of the doubt. Said he liked the bastard, thought he was funny… it backfired again.”

       “Little prick,” Sheera hissed.

       “How much do you think he set Shane back?” Caleb asked with worry as he dropped into a seat beside Damien with Mai settling on his thighs.

       “Hard to tell,” Tony answered, looking around at his friends. “Shane went straight to the bathroom to shower. Didn’t say a word the entire way back here.”

       Everyone remained quiet after that, not sure what to say or what to do, worried about Shane. And when Jared pulled out his three pistols and then pulled out the clip and began taking the bullets out to count them, no one except Jake bat an eyelash at this. It must be a quirk. The silence continued but after a few minutes, as the Jack was being passed around, the sudden silence was disturbed by a knock on the front door. It was Jared who went to answer. Those in the kitchen heard voices, one belonging to a female, and then Jared’s low barely civil tone. A minute later he reentered the kitchen with a woman following after him.

     Sheera blinked in surprise. “Dinah?” she asked, studying the worried look on the woman’s face. “What are you doing here?”

     “I-I heard about what Tyson did,” she said, eyeing those in the kitchen warily, especially Damien and then she saw the pistols and paled dramatically. No one moved to reassure her.

       “And?” Damien demanded.

       “I w-wanted to come apologize-”

       At once Tony, Caleb, and Damien began laughing. It wasn’t a nice sound. “Typical,” Damien sneered just as Jared snapped one of the clips back into a Glock. Dinah jumped at the sound.

     “Tyson didn’t mean any harm! He wasn’t trying to hurt your friend. He wasn’t thinking!”

     “He never does,” Tony muttered.

     “He’s really sorry!”

   “If that’s so, he should have come to apologize himself, Dinah.”

     “There is no way, Sheera. He’s terrified of Damien! And…” she stared at the guns and then at Jared’s cold profile. “And I think he has every reason to be.”

     “Yes he does,” Damien returned with a hiss. “I will ruin him and sending you here to try to smooth it over only increases my will to do so. He’s pathetic.”

     “He doesn’t know I’m here.”

     “Yeah, right.”

     Sheera frowned. “Look, Dinah. Your apology means nothing to us, okay? No offense. You didn’t do anything and you weren’t even around to see firsthand what happened.” Before Dinah could reply, she brushed passed her and headed for the stairs. “I’m going to go fix my baby cuz.”

     Dinah watched her disappear upstairs before turning back to those in the kitchen. She focused on Tony. Tony whom she’d had a crush on for years, and who always stopped to talk to her when she needed an ear during the winters. Tony, who was apparently the boyfriend of the boy Tyson had scared. “Tony. Please.”

     “I am the last person you should be seeking help from,” he answered flatly. “Like Sheera said, you had nothing to do with this. We aren’t pissed at you. It’s Tyson. If he were sorry, he should come here himself.”

       Dinah frowned. “Why? So you can beat the shit out of him?”

     Tony lifted his face and grinned sharply. “Yeah. Or maybe I’ll let my friend here drill him with holes,” he ended waving at Jared, who lifted his eyes to Tony and smirked.

     “Tony,” Mai hissed in annoyance when Dinah had paled further and quickly vacated the kitchen and was soon out of the lodge.

     “What?” he demanded, leaning back and glaring at nothing. “I don’t know how she could be so loyal to him. He doesn’t deserve it.”

     “Dinah has always watched his back. She likes him,” Mai said. “Has for a long time. No matter what he does.”

     Caleb, Tony, and Damien grimaced.

     “Thought she had more sense,” Caleb muttered.

     “Love sometimes doesn’t make sense.”    

    “Oh God, Mai, stop!” Damien whined. “You’re going to make me puke.”

     Jared snorted over his guns.

 

* * *

     “Cuz? Done with your shower yet?” Sheera said, knocking on the door. Only a moment passed before the door was unlocked and cracked open, and then she heard someone padding away from the door. “Can I come in?”

     “I wouldn’t have opened the door otherwise,” Shane called out deep within the room.

     Sheera walked in to find Shane sprawled on the bed with his hands behind his head and staring at the ceiling. She propped the door open with one of the mini ficus trees and went to fall onto the bed beside him. Then she dropped a camera onto his chest. The display window currently displaying the most recent photo she’d taken that day.

      As predicted, Shane saw the photo, got excited, and grabbed up the camera; prepared to look at all the photos. As he started going through them, his smile widened with each passing recent memory. And then he started growing amused when he came to a collection of photos. After a few minutes of looking at these particular photos, he finally laughed.

     “How many photos of Jake did you take? This is insane!”

     Sheera grabbed the camera back with a glare. “Mai took them!”

     Shane snorted out a laugh. “Whatever.”

     “Whatever!” Sheera shouted and then glared at Shane’s knowing grin. “Anyway, the pictures I really wanted you to see are after the pictures _Mai_ took.”

       Shane clenched his teeth together so he wouldn’t laugh or say anything more to annoy Sheera further. Instead he nodded and moved closer so that their knees and shoulders were pressed together. They bent their heads in and Sheera navigated through the pictures quickly this time.

       This was how Tony found them. He hovered in the doorway watching and was relieved to see a sort of amused sly grin on Shane’s face. By the stony and embarrassed look on Sheera’s face, Shane must have been teasing her about something.

     “Look another one! And another, another… what a surprise! Another one!”

     “Shut up you little bastard!”

     “If the pic you want to show me is of Jake, no thanks, cuz.”

     “Shut up! Don’t make me shove this camera up your ass!”

     Shane flopped back onto the mattress. He knuckled her shoulder and she retaliated by slapping an open palm against his stomach.

     “Ow—fuck!”

     Sheera had slapped him so hard that Tony heard the smack even over Shane’s t-shirt. “Ouch,” he said, walking into the room.

     “Kick her ass, Tony.”

     “Tony doesn’t hit women.”

     “You’re a woman?” Tony asked as he rounded the bed, smirking when Shane started laughing.

     “Here,” she said, dropping the camera in Shane’s lap, smirking when he squeaked. She then laughed out loud. “You sounded like a girl!” And with the last word, she walked out of the room.

     Tony looked at Shane’s embarrassed flushed face and he laughed. “You did sound like a girl.”

     “Keep talking and I won’t follow up on my promise,” Shane replied through gritted teeth.

     “That’s a bluff. You love having my dick in your mouth.”

     Shane’s narrowed eyes flicked up, finding Tony’s face hovering over his. His eyes cleared and grinned. “Yeah.”

     Tony nodded before slumping down on his side behind his boyfriend and they spent some time like that going through the pictures. After a time, and at one particular picture, Shane laughed. “That was funny.”

     “I didn’t think the handful of snow down my pants was funny.”

     “I didn’t do that. Damien did,” Shane answered with a laugh as he went on to look at the next picture. “Why do you think the spy tried to knock you off a cliff?”

       “He said that was an accident.”

     Shane snorted and shook his head, staring at a picture of Tony and himself. He couldn’t remember where it was, but they were sprawled out on one of the slopes. Shane had fallen and accidentally took Tony down with him. They were snow covered and all smiles; turned towards each other and clueless of someone taking a photo.

     Shane bit his tongue, not wanting to say what he wanted to say. Tony stood from the bed and grabbed the camera from his hand. He stared at it for a few moments before handing the camera back.

     He turned from the bed and headed for the bathroom. “We should print that,” he said as he disappeared into the bathroom. Shane smiled widely. “Stop smiling like a girl and come blow me like you promised,” Tony’s voice echoed out from the bathroom.

     Shane laughed. “Asshole! Get halfway clean first!”

     “I’m fucking hard already, baby boy. Get your ass in here.”

     “Halfway clean.”

     For the next minute the only thing Shane heard in the quiet room was the rustling of clothes being stripped and thrown over to the corner of the bathroom. “… fuck… baby, please. I’m begging you.”

     Shane stood. “I like hearing you beg.”

     “Shit, shit… Shane- hear that? The shower is on! Come here!”

     Shane listened to the water running from the shower and grinned. Tony sometimes got really excited and desperate when he was horny. This was one of those times. He loved when Tony got like this so he shrugged and walked into the bathroom. He had promised, after all.

    Minutes later Jared and Damien were passing the still opened door of Tony and Shane’s room and once again, Damien heard some very nice moans coming from the room. Immediately he detoured and tried to walk right into the room. Jared rolled his eyes, grabbed Damien’s arm, kept him on the other side of the hall, then went and moved the ficus tree so the door could shut.

     “No,” he said to Damien, who was already opening his mouth to say something.

     Damien snapped his mouth shut; two seconds later he glared. “Don’t dogify me!”

    “Then stop doing every little thing I say.”

     “I don’t.” Jared looked over with a cocked brow. “Well just recently!” Damien exploded and Jared smirked. “Don’t expect it to last forever! Once this grows cold, don’t think-”

     They went silent, and even though Jared had not been speaking, Damien could literally feel him go silent and still inside. Damien stopped walking and Jared paused a bit in front of him. His lover didn’t turn to face him. Damien shook his head sharply. “That’s not…I didn’t mean… Not you.”

     Jared finally grabbed his shoulders, shoved him against the wall, and leaned in to place a kiss on his neck. “I know. I know you didn’t mean it. But I have to go check some things right now. I need to go.”

     Damien nodded mutely. He didn’t turn to watch as Jared walked away down the hall and disappear around the corner. Damien slowly moved then, turning slightly to bump his forehead against the wall as he took deep breaths to fight off a panic attack.

     He hadn’t really meant it. It just slipped out. Old habits. Jared knew he didn’t mean it; he tried to make it clear before he took off. Jared had understood, but the words spoken had also severely angered him and he had had to get away. Damien understood this because he knew his lover and he appreciated Jared pausing a moment to talk to him; to try and reassure him. The super tool could have just taken off without a word and that would have definitely set Damien off.

     Jared purposely kept his face blank and his mind scrubbed from what had just happened as he left the lodge, not paying attention to the looks he got from Mai and Jake. Caleb looked like he was about to follow when Jared stopped at the door to get his boots and jacket on, so Jared had to shoot him a look. The deadly serious look he took on right before shooting someone in the head. Caleb sat his arse back down on the couch. A bit gratifying, but nothing like Jared’s anger was looking for. Caleb now knew that look personally. He’d shot someone in the head. It wasn’t nearly as terrifying for Caleb now.

     Jacket and boots on, Jared checked his fire power before leaving. Stomping through the ankle high snow, a smirk lifted his lips as he found the main path that eventually connected every lodge in the resort. In ten minutes he was standing in front of another lodge, knocking on the door. He knew they were in, he could hear voices. But surprisingly the voices were subdued. He could hear no music or partying as he expected he would.

       “Yeah?”

       The bloke in front of him was not his target, but it was amusing to see suspicion in his eyes. Clearly the story had passed around to everyone within the two groups. Good. Jared cleared his throat and dropped his British accent for an American one. “Yeah. I’m here for Tyson.”

     “What do you want with him?”

     “I don’t like nosey fucking assholes. Get me Tyson now or I’ll go in and get him myself.”

     The bloke raised his hands quickly. “Whoa, dude. Cool down. I’ll get him. Shit,” he muttered, turning and disappearing inside the lodge, leaving the door ajar and giving Jared enough room to see inside. It was a replica of the one he and his friends were staying in. Two stories a dozen rooms along the top and bottom of the east wing. Large den, huge round fire place. A mildly large kitchen area. A bunch of kids loitered within the den just inside the door. Six at the least. And more beyond his sight as he could hear the different voices.

       It was worth the ten minute walk and the minute wait. When Bouldevere appeared in the door way, he looked already on edge as if he expected trouble at any moment. In fact Jared was impressed the bastard had come to the door at all. But the moment he saw Jared standing there with that same look in his eyes, Bouldevere literally shook and paled. Jared might have looked to see if Tyson pissed himself, but he didn’t want to pull his eyes away from Bouldevere’s terror ridden face. Jared smirked when Bouldevere spun around and slammed the door in his face. Jared turned and walked away back along the path. Now that had been gratifying. That woman- Dinah- must have talked to Bouldevere about her little visit before.

     Instead of returning directly to the lodge, Jared canvassed the area, checked up on the night team, and stopped next door where several of the security team were staying. By the time he returned, only Sheera was still up. She was sitting in the den and watching the door as if she had been waiting for him. It became clear that she was when she stood as soon as he shut the door and said, “he’s sleeping with me tonight. Didn’t want you to worry.”

    Jared let her go without asking questions and was soon following her up. But he had to return to an empty room while Sheera returned to her own where his lover was holed up.

 

* * *

 

His footsteps echoed around the long corridor, loud to his small frame. The sound of his steps bounced off the walls. And at seven years of age the walls seemed to go on forever like giants. He imagined the sound could shatter his hearing. It came from being afraid. From trying to be as quiet as possible since _she_ was in the mansion.

       Damien stopped dead when the echo of his footsteps was suddenly joined by Danse macabre. His mother’s favorite tone poem. The soundtrack to his nightmares. Before Damien could try and back away from the open door ahead, her voice joined him in the hall.

   “I know you’re out there, Damien. Come in. I want to see you.”

   Damien started shaking. He didn’t want to go in there. He knew what would happen then. He wanted to run away. He wanted to collapse to the ground and cry. He wanted to disappear, to go somewhere anywhere where she couldn’t find and touch him.

     “Damien.”

     The little boy sniffed and then bit his lip, finally moving forward. He had to go. If he didn’t, she would make him pay. Her displeasure in being ignored would be repaid tenfold. It was better to go now.

   Damien never liked this particular room. He thought it was too light. To white and creme and soft. It wasn’t right when she was sitting in it listening to her music and reading her magazines. Doing whatever it was she liked to do when she wasn’t actually doing something evil. And there she was, lounging on a settee. Her light hair bundled up on top of her head.

       Marissa tossed her magazine onto the table when Damien was only five feet away. She straightened, turned in her seat and pinned her little trembling son with a look from eyes that held no emotion whatsoever. Just like her face. Damien was always terrified to look at her face. She was so cold. It was as if nothing was there when she looked at him. She was scary to face. Because there was nothing there. No recognition that she was looking at her own offspring.

       “I’ve been home for two days, son.”

       Damien swallowed thickly. It was never good when she used that voice. The fake caring mother’s voice. They were both aware she didn’t mean it. What was worse, Marissa knew Damien knew and she enjoyed him knowing the truth. Damien waited silently, staring at the floor and trying to prepare for what was about to happen. And then she finally moved. Suddenly appearing before him as if by magic and striking him across his face. By the time Damien got up off the floor, she already had a cigarette lit. She smiled a vacant smile after drawing the smoking stick from her mouth and blowing the smoke in his face. She then reached out and grabbed his chin, jerking his face up while her perfectly manicured nails dug into his cheek.

     “Just remember, Damien,” she said as he lowered that cigarette to his chest, just below his collar. “If you tell, I will make sure you never see your father again. It would be so easy to kill him. We share a bedroom after all.”

       Damien cried and screamed and Marissa only laughed and kept that lit cigarette against his chest; all the while Danse Macabre echoing around them.

* * *

Damien awoke with a violent start, a scream dying in his throat. He immediately took a deep breath and stared wide eyed at the ceiling. Even now he could swear that music was playing. He would swear it was real, coming somewhere from nearby. Damien shook his head forcibly as he sat up and by the time he was sitting straight backed, the music had gone. It must have been left over from the dream.

     Looking over, Sheera was being a mattress hog; sprawled on her stomach with her arms and legs kicked out. Damien thought he must not have been thrashing around or making a lot of noise, otherwise she would have woken.   He quietly slid out of bed and managed to get some clothes on even though his hands were shaking horribly. When he made it out into the hall, closing the door behind him, Damien’s attention immediately crossed the hall to the room he was sharing with Jared. “I didn’t mean it,” he muttered as he turned away and walked down the darkened hall.

     He didn’t even know what time it was, but the lodge was dark and silent. Damien went into the kitchen, turning the light on. He had just sat down at the table when he heard the music again. He jumped and stumbled away from where he thought it was coming from. His frightened gaze raced across the kitchen towards the window. The drapes and blinds were closed. Jared had a thing for making sure all windows downstairs were closed at night. Damien didn’t see anything. But he could still hear it. So soft he barely did.

     Damien stumbled out of the kitchen, leaving the light on, and hurried into the dark den where he shrank down onto one of the sofas. By the time he was on the sofa, the music was gone. He rummaged around in the pocket of the sweatshirt he was wearing- Jared’s sweatshirt- and grabbed his cell, pulling it out with white knuckles. He sat there for a moment while his shaking fingers turned the phone over and over.

     Finally he stopped playing with his phone and used it. He squeezed his eyes closed as he brought the phone to his ear. Damien took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

     _“Damien? Are you alright?”_

     His father sounded tired. He also sounded worried, probably because of the time. Damien released a breath. “D-dad. Daddy, I…It w-was-” was he going insane? Maybe he was insane. Hearing things that weren’t there.

     Now Shrod sounded worried and completely alert. _“Damien?”_

     Damien shook his head rapidly. No, no he was okay. This was normal. It was only the dream. He hated that song. And now that nightmare had put that song in his head. This was just ridiculous. He was freaking out over a song stuck in his head. He just needed to tell his overactive imagination to SHUT THE FUCK UP before it got him sent to an asylum. Maybe he should call Tabitha, his therapist, instead.

     He tried to laugh it off as he spoke, hoping to detour the worry in his father’s voice. “Never mind. Sorry for waking you.”

       There was silence on the other line, but Damien knew his father was still there. _“Damien what was that?”_

        Apparently he wasn’t going to fall for the laugh off. Tell him the half truth then and make it sound like nothing. “I woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep. Then I came down to the den… I was bored and wanted to talk to someone. Then I remembered the time. I’m really sorry.”

     _“Where’s Jared?”_

       Damien smirked. _He’ll fall for this._ Keep him from wanting to call Jared and from wanting to extend conversation further. “I left him in bed. Wore him out when we-”

       _“Yes, alright! Good night, son.”_

       A real smile made it Damien’s lips. “Night, Dad.” He was slow to pull the phone from his ear. His movements were stiff. He couldn’t shake the stiffening fear. How could he be so afraid? This was bullshit.

       Minute by minute he forced himself to relax and after an hour, he was slumped in the soft cushions of the sofa. Not sleeping though. No matter how hard he tried he could never keep his eyes closed. So he spent the night on the sofa reading back issues of _The New York Times_ on his phone. At least he never heard the music again.

     Shane was the first one up the next morning and he came across Damien in the kitchen making coffee. When Damien turned from the counter with a cup of coffee in hand, Shane looked at him in worry and a little exasperation. “Dude! Did you sleep at all? Don’t tell me Jared kept you up all night!”

     “You are the last person who should be talking.”

     “Did you have another nightmare?” Shane asked more quietly.

     “What makes you say that?”

     Shane shrugged. “Sorry, but you look like shit right now.”

     Damien nearly dropped his coffee. “Do I look hideous?” he cried.

     “Uh… you look strung out.”

     Damien sped walked out of the kitchen and up to his room. He would have run except he refused to let go of the coffee he’d made. Once back in his room, he paused only a moment to notice Jared was awake- barely- and heading for the bathroom for a morning piss. Damien’s eyes widened and he tore for the bathroom. He pushed Jared out of the way, shut and locked the door, and commenced with making himself beautiful. He ignored the pounding on the door, of course. Jared was cursing at him in a low grumbling voice, demanding entrance or he’d shoot the fucking door down. A real smile lifted Damien’s lips. Jared was adorable when he was sleepy and grouchy.

     It wasn’t seven minutes later when Shane heard footsteps on the stairs and grumbling and he soon recognized Jared’s voice. A moment later the door to the downstairs guest bathroom slammed shut. “Why are you two awake right now?” he demanded five minutes later after coming out of the bathroom.

     Shane snickered. Looking Jared’s rumpled form over, noting the man was only in sweatpants and barefoot. “He kicked you out, huh? He was already here making coffee when I came down—don’t glare at me, man! I didn’t do anything!”

     Jared made a sort of snarling huff, ruffled his bedhead, and then sat down in a chair. He gave a heavy resigned sigh and then proceeded to glare at the cell phone sitting on the table.

       Shane laughed at him. Jared was cute in the mornings.

     “Stop laughing. Get me some coffee… please,” he asked, leaning forward to snatch the cell off the table.

     He sat back and studied it while Shane got him a black coffee. Why was Damien’s phone down here? He probably called his father this morning. Jared sat forward once again, resting his forearms on the table and staring at the touch screen brought up the recent calls and looked at the recently dialed numbers. Jared nodded to himself. Shrod was first on the recent list, like he thought, but… he wasn’t right about the time. 3:42 am.

     Why would Damien be up at that time? Sheera said he’d already fallen asleep by the time he’d returned last night. Which means Damien must have woken up… and then called his father just for the hell of it? Damien knew better than to call Shrod for stupid shite that late. Unless it was an emergency.

     Jared dropped the phone back to the table and picked up his mug, staring off towards the window.

     “Is there ever a time when you’re not thinking so much?”

     Jared looked up at Shane, who was standing on the other side of the table. “How did he look when you came down?”

     “Tired as fuck,” Shane immediately replied, frowning. “His eyes were kind of wide. I thought maybe he had a nightmare. Asked him, but he never answered.”

     Jared nodded. A nightmare would make sense. But Jared couldn’t help but think Damien’s insomnia was connected with him being so on edge the previous day after lunch. And he was pretty sure whatever was going on, it had nothing to do with the little _thing_ that had happened between them last night before he went to scare the shite out of Bouldevere. “Don’t press him if he says he’s staying in the lodge today. Make sure the others don’t either.”

     Shane’s first instinct was to argue, but then he nodded. “Okay, Jared.” Obviously something was wrong with Damien and Shane knew the spy would know how to handle it.

 

* * *

 

Damien stretched out on one of the sofas and hid behind his magazine. “I’m staying here today.”

     “Why?”

     “I don’t feel like riding the slopes today. I’m staying inside. I feel like being alone.”

     When Jared sat beside him, Damien didn’t seem surprised. He definitely didn’t sound surprised when he spoke next but he did sound hesitant. “Did you… did you do your morning hike around the lodge?”

     “Yes.”

   Damien nodded behind the magazine. A silent minute passed before he then asked, “any boot prints?”

     “It snowed last night. But when I looked there were no prints. Why?”

     “It was only a question,” Damien replied lowly.

     “You had a nightmare, didn’t you? Kept you from sleeping.”

     “A nightmare….yeah!” Damien finally dropped the magazine and nodded. “Yeah, I had a nightmare. It was only a nightmare.” He then laughed kind of hysterically and went back behind the magazine again. “Nothing insane about me!”

     Jared studied the fingers clutching tightly at that stupid magazine. “Damien.”

     Damien didn’t say another word and Jared knew he wouldn’t for a while. So he got up and returned upstairs to fetch his bag. By the time he returned, Damien was spread across the couch. He seemed to relax a little more when Jared returned and sank down on the love seat next to the sofa. Jared pulled out his laptop from the bag and set it on his lap as he lifted his feet to rest on the coffee table. He looked over as his computer booted up, finding Damien watching him with tired eyes. Jared watched him back. It was perfectly clear Damien was hiding something. Hiding something that terrified him. And the only thing Jared knew that could scare his lover like this was that woman. So, Damien may have had another nightmare about her and that usually shook him up, but they weren’t so bad as to make Damien act like this hours later. What else had happened? And why was Damien trying to hide it?

       Jared scowled and returned his attention to the laptop, trying to look up information, trying to find _her_ , and after twenty minutes, he looked back over to find Damien was asleep. Jared worked for another three hours before he nearly threw his laptop across the room in fury. He couldn’t find her anywhere. No one was this invisible. Especially when he knew she was on the move. He knew it with every fiber of his being and he also knew whatever she was doing, it had to do with the Shrods. Jared didn’t think it was a coincidence Damien was acting strangely.

    He finally put his laptop away and traded it for a cell phone, which also came from the bag. This cell phone, just like the laptop, was used only for certain things. Things he didn’t want anyone tracking him on. He gripped the phone in hand and moved locations. He sat in the kitchen, his knee jumping in agitation. He wanted to get out of the lodge for a bit. Do something. But he didn’t want to leave Damien alone here.

       Something threw his lover off last night and the day before. That something had also probably spurned that ‘grow cold’ comment as well, which is why Jared had been able to shrug it off easily after taking that walk. But fuck if it hadn’t pissed him right off when Damien first said it. He’d felt the need to send his fist into the wall next to Damien’s head. It was only the panic in Damien’s eyes after he realized what he’d said that kind of cooled him down. Clearly Damien hadn’t meant to say it; didn’t even feel it was true. His first priority had been to calm Damien down before the princess could have a massive attack, and then he’d had to go and walk off the rest of his anger.

   But now he was way too anxious. There was only so much he could do and he didn’t want to wake Damien up. Why was Damien keeping this nightmare a secret? And if it was just a nightmare, why had it kept him up all night. They usually didn’t. Jared felt as if he were running out of time. This made him nervous. He’d never had to rush a job before. But now, he felt the longer Marissa was still living, still able to terrorize Damien from just a thought, the worse Damien was going to get.

     She hadn’t appeared at the end of that gala without a specific purpose. It had been a risky move on her part, due to Shrod’s security. Security that had got their asses handed to them by Shrod afterwards. That had been her despite Shrod’s continuous denials to Damien, and Shrod knew it was her. And they both knew she’d appeared in front of Damien on purpose. Damien would forever be her target. _She needs to die_ , Jared thought furiously; his mind racing. He needed to find her. Damien was in real danger from her, no matter the kind of security he had around them. Not only that, Damien’s father and his immediate family- their friends- were in danger from this bitch with connections. He had to find her.

     Speaking of connections, he had a fair few of his own. Connections he trusted with his double lives. Connections he’d known as a boy. Some had trained along beside him. One in particular. And this connection could find anyone anywhere. He was far more skilled at it than Jared, even if he hated admitting it.

     Jared lifted the phone and quickly punched in a number. “Calling in a favor,” he said as soon as the call was connected. “As far as we’re concerned you owe me a lifetime of favors, Billy.”

     Billy laughed before speaking and then his strong accent filled Jared’s ears, making him feel a twinge of homesickness. Billy’s accent was way more pronounced than his was. _“Dec! Ya wanker! Where the bleedin’ hell have’ya been? Forget the lowlies have ya, Mr. Corporate?”_

Jared smirked. “I’ve been busy. How are you?”

     Billy snorted. “I always get a kick a hearing your upper crust accent. Brit.”

     Jared’s eyes widened and he shot to his feet, glowering. Billy knew better. “Bloody bastard! Fucking watch your mouth! I’ll fucking kill you! Don’t ever call me a Brit again!”

Billy’s laughter continued to ring in his ears and Jared shook his head, pulling in a breath, pulling in his temper. Bloody Billy. “I called about a favor,” he grit out, annoyed now.

     Billy snorted out one more laugh. _“Yeah, yeah, Dec. Don’t get your knickers in a bloody twist. Shite man. Just a surprise to hear from you is all. Thought you dropped off the planet.”_

     “Honestly think someone could get to me?”Jared laughed lowly. The thought was ridiculous.

     _“Not me. I’ve been checking up on you. Keeping your back safe. But there’s been worrying talk, me boyo. There’s been movement too. Lots of it. From him.”_

     “Fuck.”

     _“Mhmm. Thought you’d like that. If I were you, I’d expect to be tagged.”_

     Jared scowled at nothing in particular. “Need to settle that.”

     _“Right, yeah. You do. But I don’t want to know a goddamned thing about that, Declan. Let’s get back to this favor. Waddya need?”_

     “Having trouble tracking someone down.”

     There was silence on the other end and Jared knew he’d managed to surprise Billy. _“Come again.”_

     “I do that often nowadays,” Jared murmured with a little smirk.

 _“Ah!”_ Billy laughed. _“Right on! A bird or a bloke?”_ there was a sound, like Billy had snapped his fingers. _“It’s that good looking bloke you work with, isn’t it. That crazy corporate heir?”_

       Jared straightened and cleared his throat. He hadn’t meant to bring up Damien to Billy. He hadn’t meant to bring Damien up at all. But it was Billy and he had never had problems talking to Billy. Billy knew his face as Declan and Jared. Billy knew more about Jared than _he_ did. And Billy would keep Jared’s secrets because Billy had just as much to lose as he did if their true identities were ever to get out. That’s why when they were forced to speak like this, over electric communication, even secure lines, they always used their birth names.

       _“Yeah, it is. It is, mate, isn’t it? You’ve been chasing after his psycho arse since you started working there! I always knew you’d settle down for a hot crazy sociopath! None of that tame shite! No other way for you, boyo!”_

     “He’s more psychopath than sociopath.”

       Billy laughed. _“And you love that, don’t you. Course you do!”_ Jared didn’t say anything because there was no need. Billy was right. _“I’ve been meaning to ask you. How are the yanks in bed, anyway?”_

       “I can’t speak for all.”

       _“Just yours then,”_ Billy prodded and Jared could imagine the smirk on Billy’s face right now.

     “Hot and wild.”

_“Nice. Bloody fantastic. Hopefully he’ll loosen you up some.”_

     Jared cleared his throat and then lowered his tone. “My favor…”

     _“No worries, mate. This is a secure line. Your lover’s safe.”_

     Jared rubbed the space between his eyes even as a small smile lifted his lips. Billy was a notorious digger. About everything. Which is why he’d called him for this particular thing. And Jared had to admit it was nice talking to Billy again.

_“Done any jobs lately?”_

       “A few,” Jared answered.

      _“You were responsible for that amateur gang take out. You must have had help with that too.”_

       Billy said it as a statement so Jared didn’t bother to deny. Because again, Billy was a digger after all, and he was good at his job. Not only that, he would have recognized some of Jared’s handy work. “Yes.”

     _“No worries. Didn’t dig too deeply.”_

     Jared burst out a laugh, “you’re full of shite!” It was then Damien came into the kitchen, blurry eyed still from his nap. He paused when he heard Jared’s laugh, gave him a little sleepy smile and then headed towards the fridge, eyeing the phone at Jared’s ear. “You know you dug up every little thing about that situation once you realized it was me.”

       _“The things I know about you,”_ Billy laughed back.

       “Right back at you,” Jared murmured, watching Damien bend over slightly to rummage through the fridge. He cocked his head. Damien really did have a fine arse. “If I didn’t trust you completely, I would have killed you by now,” he ended lightly, grinning.

     _“And I appreciate that, Dec. I sure do. Appreciate your willpower in keeping that finger off the trigger in regards to me… anyway, about your favor?”_

       Jared hesitated. He didn’t want Damien to hear about this. Only because he didn’t want to bring his mother’s name up in front of him. He trusted Damien. Which was why he hadn’t automatically hung up his secure line upon his lover’s appearance as he would had it been someone else. He was distracted from coming up with something to say when Damien was suddenly in front of him, placing a hand on Jared’s shoulder. The Shrod heir looked sort of shy for a split second before he bent over, pressing their lips together, teasing Jared’s lips with the tip of his tongue. It was a kiss meant to stir Jared’s blood and it did.

     _“Oi! Declan?”_

       Jared ignored Billy and instead lifted his free hand to cup that back of Damien’s neck as he slid his tongue into his lover’s mouth. Damien made a happy little sound and plopped into his lap, straddling his thighs; their lips never disconnecting.

     A low chuckle in his ear had his attention split two ways. _“Oh now… I know that sound.”_

     Jared pulled back from Damien and scowled. “Fuck off—no, not you,” he quickly said to Damien. Pulling his hand away from Damien’s neck to wrap it around his trim waist instead. He wanted Damien to stay exactly where he was.

_“Not my fault you’re snogging with the phone to your ear, boyo.”_

       Damien plucked the phone out of Jared’s hand before he could reply. Damien placed the phone to his ear as he reclined against Jared’s chest, resting his chin on his lover’s shoulder. Resting there in complete comfort. “Hello?’

     _“You must be the hot wild yank D-Jar… he’s been doing,”_ came the reply after only a moment’s hesitation. _“Shrod the Third.”_

     “Hot wild yank?” Damien repeated, raising a brow.

     “Shite,” Jared muttered. He tipped his head back and knuckled his forehead. Damien was grinning. He took that as a complete compliment, which it was. Jared wasn’t too bothered Damien was talking to Billy. If Billy didn’t want to talk to Damien, he would have hung up already.

     “What’s your name?” Damien asked. “Can I know it?”

     _“Ah, so you know things.”_

     “Yes.”

_“D-fuck! He’s told you…”_

    “You can call him Declan if you’re more comfortable with it,” Damien replied, smirking.

     _“Well Jaysus Christ! He told you everything?!”_

     “Hmm. Your name?” he asked into the phone before pulling back slightly to look at Jared’s face. “He’s got a sexy accent too. His is more pronounced.”

     “He didn’t have to disguise his voice as much.”

     “ _Name’s Billy, sweetheart, and you’ve got a voice on you too. Low and soft.”_

     Damien grinned at Jared. “I think he’s flirting with me.”

     _“Yes, baby. I am,”_ and by the way his voice wavered, Damien could tell he was only teasing. He probably wasn’t even gay. Just wanted to tick Jared off. Damien thought he’d help out.

     He smirked. “He called me baby.”

       Jared scowled and ripped the phone from Damien’s hand. “Behave, wanker,” he hissed into the phone. “My trigger finger may slip.”

     Billy laughed. _“You really are gone. And you told him everything, Dec? That’s completely out of character.”_

     Jared met Damien’s grinning eyes. “I trust him.”

     _“Well Christ, that settles it! I need to meet this psychopath,”_ Billy said with some conviction.

     Jared remained quiet, too busy concentrating on the mouth sliding over his Adam’s apple and the hands sliding under his shirt to really care about Billy at the moment. After a moment, when Damien went lower, swirling his tongue at the base of his neck, Jared cleared his throat. “I should let you go.”

       _“Ah, no, Dec!”_ Billy laughed, knowing exactly what was going on. _“We’re just getting started. Haven’t spoken to you in ages! What about this favor you called for?”_

       “Not now about that,” Jared answered through gritted teeth, watching as Damien slid from his lap and kneeled down. Parking himself between Jared’s thighs; hands already reaching for the button and zipper of his pants. Jared swallowed thickly when both were quickly undone.

     _“So it’s about your man then.”_

     “Yes.”

     _“Thought you said you trusted him.”_

     “I do. It’s complicated,” he answered and then closed his eyes when Damien grabbed hold of his cock. When that hand stilled and just remained there without moving, he opened his eyes. Damien was staring at him. Jared shook his head. Damien smirked and leaned forward, wrapping his lips around him eagerly. “Fuck.”

     _“Your breathing’s turned ragged, mate.”_ Billy laughed loudly. _“What’s he doing to you now?”_

     _Fucking deep throating me_ , Jared thought with a mental groan as he dropped his head back. “Billy, I’m at Snohomish.” Without another word he disconnected the call and dropped it on the table. Billy would understand.

     Jared dropped his hands into Damien’s dyed hair. It always surprised him how soft Damien managed to keep his hair even after all the work he did to it. He fisted that black and violet hair, letting out a groan as a tongue snaked around him and applied pressure while moving. Damien sucked his cock as if he’d wanted to do it for hours. So Jared let him. Let Damien suck him and watched Damien wriggle his own pants down and touch himself. Jared nearly lost it when he noticed Damien was stretching himself.

     Jared sucked in a breath and pulled Damien’s hair, pulling that gorgeous mouth off him. “Give me your arse, sweetheart.”

     Damien nodded, standing up. Jared still had hold of his hair and jerked him forward. Damien stumbled and only caught himself by bracing a hand on Jared’s shoulder. He didn’t care about the rough handling because Jared started fucking his mouth with his tongue. Damien sank down, straddling him again, moving forward until their cocks slid together. Damien moaned as he wrapped his hand around both of them and they started to rut against each other.

   Jared pulled one hand away from his hair and slid it down his back. Damien gasped into his mouth when two fingers penetrated him; jerking in and out and stretching him more. Damien pulled his face back slightly, breath catching as Jared’s fingers never ceased to move inside him. Jared was staring at him; lust darkened eyes piercing his. Damien’s lips parted as he continued to move; riding Jared’s fingers and sliding against Jared’s cock. Jared’s gaze traveled from his face, down the length of his body. Watching him move, watching him shake with pleasure. When he looked back into Damien’s eyes, his were darker. The way he was looking at Damien made gooseflesh spread across the younger man’s entire body.

     The hand still in his hair dug deeper, drawing their lips together again. A weak moan escaped Damien as he drowned in that kiss. Jared kissed him as if he loved doing it. As if he loved mapping out Damien’s mouth and could never get enough. Damien loved that feeling. Damien loved the way Jared kissed him. So completely he never doubted Jared’s emotions in regards to him and he tried to kiss Jared back the same way, to relay the message he couldn’t get through with words. Not yet.

       When Jared finally released his hair and pulled his fingers away, Damien pulled back and spun around before lowering back onto Jared’s lap. He had only just sat on Jared’s freaking awesome cock when they heard the thrum of a chopper in the air somewhere nearby.

     Damien paused, staring up at the ceiling as if he could see through and into the sky. “Dad?”

     Jared groaned, grabbed his hips to lift and drop him. “If it is we have ten-fifteen minutes tops. Come on, sweetheart, move.”

     Damien dropped his hands on the arm rests and used that to lever himself and soon their pace was frantic. Jared had his face pressed against Damien’s back, breathing his scent in and trying to keep from making sounds like a weak teenager. But fuck, Damien’s arse felt so good around him. So tight. And he was moving so fast, the friction was incredible. And the panting coming from Damien’s mouth; the moans and whimpers, that was even better. As was the sound of Damien’s ass slapping against his bare thighs.

       “Fuck,” he hissed, unable to help himself. Damien uttered an obscenely erotic wordless grunt in return. Jared wrapped his arms around Damien’s stomach and started drilling up into him. Trying to bury himself as deeply as he could each time Damien came down.

     The chopper was close now. Sounded like it was right outside the back door. “We’re gonna get caught,” Damien gasped.

     “Probably.”

     But they didn’t stop. Though they did change positions. Damien hopped off him and dropped to his hands and knees. Jared didn’t need a second invitation and was behind him in a second; grabbing Damien’s hips again and turning it into a harder and faster fuck, which is what they both wanted. Jared had a firm grip on Damien’s lovely arse; fingers digging into flesh as his hips snapped forward, cock hitting deeper and deeper and faster with each choked gasp leaving Damien’s mouth.

       Damien’s back was arched and his head hanging limply as he was continuously pushed forward. As he gasped for air, he had his cock in hand, stroking in time with each thrust from Jared. He was burning inside, everywhere. He hadn’t meant to get into this position. And in fact he was sure Jared hadn’t wanted him in this position. Every time Damien tried to roll over, Jared would get mad and throw him onto his back or make Damien ride him. Not that he was complaining. But Damien was pretty sure he knew why Jared would get angry. And Damien had been wary, not wanting to because he thought that no matter that it was Jared, it might still feel impersonal. Without any feeling. But Jesus, he was wrong.

     He’d instinctively dropped to his hands and knees. He’d suddenly needed Jared to take him from behind. Needed it like he needed air. And when Jared had slammed into him from behind, Damien nearly passed out from the pleasure. In his opinion Jared was the epitome of man, and having him in such a dominating way… Damien had never been more turned on.

     Damien circled the top of his cock and then jerked just when Jared slammed into his prostate and he was suddenly coming with a silent cry. His body went stiff as the orgasm went on and Jared cursed, fingers digging deeper and thrusts suddenly coming faster and erratic. From somewhere far away they heard laughter. Jared thrust in three more times before burrowing in as far as he could go; going stiff himself as he exploded. His breathing rough and fingers trembling against Damien’s flesh.

     Then he blew out a strangled breath of, “fuck!” before collapsing forward. Damien winced a little, his ass mildly burning now. But the pain was worth the pleasure. And then they heard a far off laugh again and the sound of the helicopter powering down.

     “Oh my God!” Damien cried as he scampered off the floor and stumbled, pliant like out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Most likely to the bathroom for a shower and then a change of clothes.

     Jared lingered long enough to clean the mess up on the floor they’d made and then raced after him. As he ran for the stairs, he heard Shrod’s voice and laughter from two different women. Jared reached the bedroom just in time to hear the front door open. He stumbled into the room, appreciating that Damien left it cracked open for him, and closed it quietly.

     Damien was sprawled on his back, melted into the mattress, eyes closed and breathing heavily. Jared strode over, grabbed his shirt and jerked him to his feet. “Shower.”

     “But I want to sleep.”

     “Why do you always want to sleep after sex?”

     “Because I can.”

     “Shrod’s here. With _two_ women.”

     “WHAT?”

     

* * *

 

     Damien took the stairs three at a time, and the voices that had been talking stopped at once when they heard his jumps. The moment he skidded into the den, Daisy shot up from her seat, hands balled at her sides in apprehension. Shrod didn’t move a muscle from where he was relaxed on the couch. And on the other side of Daisy sat her sister. Rose sat at the edge, smiling at him with a smile that was tinted with nerves. Going back to Daisy, Damien could see her nerves as she tried to smile through it.

       “H-hello, Damien.”

       “Hello, Miss D.”

       They stood there silently, staring at each other. Not quite knowing how to act with each other. Things had clearly changed. He felt a sort of dislike for Daisy for the very first time. A sort of jealousy. And he felt an annoyance for Shane, for making all this possible. And he felt like a spoiled little brat who didn’t want to share his parent. But… Daisy pulled in a breath and her hands were shaking. She was still smiling at him. He took notice of it. She meant the smile. He could see through the wariness and nervousness. She really was trying and she was just as uncomfortable as he was.

       Shrod moved forward, lifting a hand to Daisy’s wrist and gently pulled her back to sit beside him. Damien watched in fascination as Daisy actually relaxed minutely at his father’s touch. He watched dumbfounded as his father looked into her eyes and smiled the warmest smile Damien had ever seen.

     _My daddy brought this woman. And the way she’s acting… He must have explained my ‘problems’ and if he did that, this is looking serious. And she’s still here, smiling and trying and wanting this to be alright._ “Did you have a nice flight in?” he asked her, finally moving to sit across from them. From the corner of his eye, he saw Rose breathe out in relief. Damien’s smile widened.

     Jared appeared nearly ten minutes later. He came down and immediately found Damien, taking note of the permanent wide eyed look of his lover as he stared at Shrod and Daisy while talking to an amused Rose at the same time. Damien was both upset and excited about what was happening. He was stuck between both. Jared could see this right off.

     The moment he was spotted by Shrod, the elder man stood and immediately strode into the kitchen. Jared gave a nod and smile to the two women before turning and immediately following. He came in to find Shrod standing before the window. He heard the tail end of Shrod releasing a long relieved breath. Jared smiled and came to stand beside him.

     “That went better than you expected.”

       Shrod snorted a short laugh. “I came expecting an explosion. I even warned Daisy to expect an explosion. Perhaps I shouldn’t have. She would have been less nervous about the whole thing.”

     “You still have Shane to worry about, and Sheera, _and_ Damien could still explode.”

     “I am aware,” Shrod ground out. Jared smirked but then quickly wiped it away when Shrod abruptly turned to face him. “My son called me this morning. At three in the morning. Why?”

     “He says he was awake due to a nightmare.”

     “A nightmare could explain it…” Shrod replied thoughtfully. “But he sounded beyond terrified.”

       “It’s not just a nightmare but I haven’t been able to get anything out of him. And today he refused to go out on the slopes. Yesterday he was on edge all day.”

     “And that would explain why you two are in the lodge at this time.”

     Jared nodded. “And why is Sheera’s mother here?”

     Shrod cleared his throat. “I thought Daisy would be more comfortable having her sister come along.”

     “Did it work?”  

    “Perfectly.”

     “EXCUSE ME? WHERE ARE OUR DRINKS?”

     “Damien…” Rose murmured in warning.

     “C’mon, Rose! We’ve been WAITING…”

     Daisy could be heard laughing.

     The two in the kitchen relaxed. At least there would be no later explosion.

     “We can talk about this later,” Shrod said. Jared nodded and Shrod went back to the den to inquire about the drinks.

     As Jared lingered, he finally noticed the secured cell phone he discarded when Damien jumped him. It was lying on the floor, tucked up under the counter. He bent down and retrieved it, shaking his head. Not only had Damien distracted him enough to keep him from asking Billy about Marissa’s location, but Damien had also distracted him enough that he left his secure phone just lying around, let it be knocked off the table.

       It was Damien who came back instead of Shrod. His brows were furrowed, his lips pinched, and a hot look in his eyes. He strode straight to him, fisted Jared’s shirt in his hand, and pulled him forward. It was a fast, rough kiss; bruising, open and hot. Damien moaned when Jared fisted a hand into his hair and staggered back to lean against the counter. He never allowed their lips to part.

     Jared allowed this, knowing what it was. He relaxed back, drew Damien closer by swinging an arm around his waist and kept their lips moving; tongues dancing. This was a form of rebellion for Damien. A sort of get back at his father. Snogging where Shrod, Daisy, and Rose could easily fall upon them. But Jared had no worries. Shrod wouldn’t let the women move into the kitchen. Not until either he or Damien returned to the den. So he leaned back and allowed Damien to snog him silly. And then Jared started to remember their interlude earlier and Damien suddenly found himself under the attack.

     Damien gasped and tried to pull back. “Bastard! You’re taking it away.”

     “Wanna fuck you again.”

      “Yeah,” Damien breathed, pushing back, not caring anymore. “Yeah.”

     But they couldn’t get back to their room without passing the den, and Shrod would be very displeased with them for disappearing now. They must have come to this conclusion at the same time because they slowed, but they didn’t stop kissing until their breathing became under control.

       Jared tightened his arms; he had at some time wrapped them around Damien’s shoulders and back and had the younger man pressed securely against his chest. He dipped his head again, taking Damien’s lip slowly between his teeth. “I want to go away somewhere with you.”

     Damien followed his lip and again caught Jared’s tongue with his own. “Somewhere exotic.”

     “Some place warm.”

     “No work.”

     “No friends.”

     “No _parents_.”

     Jared laughed. He kissed Damien once more before unlocking his arms. Damien immediately stepped back and ran a hand through his hair. He licked his swollen lips, looking through blond eyelashes at Jared.

     Jared groaned and turned around, dragging a hand over his face. He needed to not look at Damien at the moment. “What do they want to drink?”

     Not even an hour later, the front door burst open and Shane stumbled in backwards. He was laughing and looking up into Tony’s face. “You’re such an asshole!”

   Tony, who was plastered against Shane’s front, had his arms around him and his hands plastered to Shane’s ass, fingers obviously flexing as he groped his boyfriend. “I’m about to own _your_ as-”

    Shrod loudly cleared his throat from where he, Daisy, Rose, Jared, and his son sat; all who were staring at the two. Tony immediately stopped talking and Shane’s head twisted around; finally noticing they were not alone. It wouldn’t have mattered if it had only been Jared and Damien in the den. But it wasn’t just them.

     Damien snickered and pressed his face against Jared’s shoulder at the caught look on Shane’s face. Tony’s hands fell away from his boyfriend’s ass so fast it was like they had been burned. Shane would have fallen down if Tony hadn’t quickly grabbed his arm. Shane was still blinking at his mom while his ears steadily grew redder. Despite the situation, Tony had the inexplicable urge to bite those ears.

     “Um…” that was about as far as Shane could go since he’d finally caught up to the situation. Shrod had brought his mom along for a getaway… what the fuck?!

     Daisy stood. “Tony? What were you doing with my child’s backside?”

    “Mom,” Shane hissed, his face coloring hilariously.

     “I was uh… searching his back pockets for something…?”

     “Really?”

     Tony nodded slowly.

     “Are you sure?” Rose asked with an ill concealed smile. “There aren’t any pockets back there.”

     Tony cleared his throat. “Really? Cause I could have sworn…” he made a show of leaning around Shane to stare at his ass.

     Shane pushed Tony away and stood awkwardly staring at the three elder adults in the room. Most of his attention on Shrod and his mother. The amusement on her face slowly fading as she took in Shane’s wide angry eyes.

     “Baby?” Daisy walked forward, slowly. Shane shook his head and stepped back. “Shane…”

     He shook his head again, turned, and sped walked up the stairs. Jared wasn’t really surprised at that reaction. It wasn’t because it was Shrod, it was because it was a man. Shane didn’t like the thought of any man near his mother. Damien was different. Damien hated his mom, so Damien’s only grievance would be having to share, and also making sure the woman wasn’t a complete cunt. Because Damien knew his father was strong and wise enough to deal with any type of woman. He wouldn’t be taken over by the female sex again as he had been with Marissa. But there was always that lingering doubt and paranoia that Damien would have to get over. Jared thought it would be easier due to Daisy being Shane’s mother and Rose’s sister. Rose, whom Damien had known for years. And being the mother of a boy he liked to think of as a brother…. Jared was willing to bet Damien would get over this in no time.

     Daisy went up after her son almost immediately, leaving Tony alone with the others. Tony smiled sheepishly at Rose before striding across the room to Damien, where he then bent over and pinch his best friend hard on the arm.

     “OW!! Stupid brute! What the hell?”

     “Why the hell didn’t you call and give a head’s up?” Tony hissed back as he fell to sit next to him.

     “We’ve been too busy,” Damien replied with a sweet smile. Jared cleared his throat and refused to look in Shrod’s direction. His boss was a quick one. He would automatically know what that meant.


	27. Episode Twenty-Seven

Mai stood back and tried to keep the amusement to herself as Sheera turned slightly away from the man who had followed them from the bar and asked her to rejoin him there for a drink. She shifted only a fraction but it was enough that their outside patio table came into view and allowed her to discreetly look at Jake. Mai saw he was leaning forward in his straddled seat with his arms propped up on the back and chin dropped to his arms. He was watching the scene, staring right at them. Watching Sheera and making it clear _he_ wanted an answer.

   Mai found herself holding her breath. Sheera would make a decision here. Mai had seen her going back and forth on the line. Yesterday and today. Mai crossed her fingers when Sheera turned back to the guy. “No thanks,” she replied with a parting smile and breezed by him back to the table.

     The thing Mai noticed about Jake’s face was the look of indifference. The expression was completely false. If he had been smiling it probably would have put Sheera at ease. She could pretend it was another of their flirty jokes. But Jake wasn’t smiling because he didn’t want it to be a joke anymore.

     Sheera was deterred from snapping at Jake for staring when her phone started to ring. No one missed the relief crossing her face when she saw who it was and immediately answered. Mai smiled a little at her grinning boyfriend. When she looked at Jake the southern man winked at her.

   That was the thing about Jake. The thing that drove Sheera crazy. She liked men on the rough side and she liked men on top too. Men with alpha attitudes and heaps of ambition. If Jared hadn’t been such an ass at first and quite clearly going after Damien the entire time they’d known him, Sheera might have developed a crush on him. As it was, Jake had always been around. True, at first meetings and appearances, he wouldn’t really be considered a bad boy, and yet-

     “You and Jared—eww, Damien! The kitchen? We eat there!”

     _“That’s not the point! It was amazing, She!”_

    Mai snickered and took a sip of her hot cocoa. She allowed her focus to drift away and soak in the people and shops around the mountaintop café and continued to think about the enigma across from her. Honestly, if Jake weren’t a bad boy of some kind she would never have started pressuring Sheera to go for him. Certain aspects of their group demanded certain things from people whom they allowed get close to them. Some people- most people- probably couldn’t handle them as a group, and as a group they would always be. Jake wasn’t a bad boy exactly but he wasn’t someone who would freak out either. Or if he did it would be over some weird shit. Jake was funny like that.

     “Damien!” Sheera hissed into the phone, shifting and looking at Mai who had tuned back in with interest. “I don’t want to hear about how dominating Jared—No! No, stop you idiot! I don’t want to hear about the homo conquest in the freaking kitchen!”

     _“YOU’RE ONLY JEALOUS YOU AREN’T GETTING ANY! LOOK ACROSS THE TABLE, SHEERA! IT’S YOUR OWN FAULT! HOW ANYONE COULD TURN HIM DOWN IS BEYOND ME! I THINK-”_

     “Shut up!” Sheera screeched, aware everyone around the table could hear him.

_“DYKE!”_

       Mai laughed under her breath and shook her head. She peeked at Jake to find him scanning the ski slopes nearby but he had an amused smirk on his face. That was the thing about Jake, his weirdness. She was nearly one hundred percent sure he wouldn’t be at all upset to know Caleb and the others had gone out and taken down that gang but he would flip his lid in an insane way should he find recyclables mixed in with the garbage. He was that type of guy. Mellow with a spot of crazy.

     She knew Jake had been after Sheera for years and he had been very patient- to the point of it being annoying to some people. He took his time and let Sheera hit the twenty-five mark before really going for it. Going for it when he knew she’d be the most ready. And during that time they were able to get to know each other. The pace was comfortable for him and Sheera didn’t even realize what was going on. It just happened for her, going from boss and employee to friends. Jake kept out of her personal life and lived his own. He gave her room. It wasn’t creepy that way. Mai giggled. At least it wasn’t creepy to her.

     “What did you just say?” Sheera demanded flatly, catching everyone’s attention again. Mai turned back to find her staring hard at the table, lips pinched into thin lines. “You’re not joking, are you?” she paused and took a deep breath. “Okay, Damien. Thanks for the head’s up.”

     When Sheera put her phone away and didn’t say anything right away, Mai scooted closer to her. “What’s going on?”

     “Apparently Shrod’s early. Chopper landed an hour ago… he brought Aunt Daisy and Mom.”

     Caleb’s eyebrows shot up. “Both? Ahhh, Shrod’s got skills!”

     Jake coughed on his coffee. Sheera rolled her eyes at him and turned back to Mai when she grabbed Sheera’s hands. “He brought your mom to make Daisy more comfortable!”

     Sheera nodded. “Apparently Shane freaked out. Odd but Damien seems fine. It makes sense Shane would have problems but I’m surprised Damien’s okay.”

     “Why would Shane freak?” Caleb wanted to know.

     “When Shane was in the hospital fighting for his life, did you ever wonder about his dad?”          

     “Yeah but then I thought maybe he’d passed on already. Didn’t think it was the time to ask. And you’ve never ever mentioned his pops.”

     Sheera’s eyes narrowed on him. He recognized a look of hate. “That sorry son of a bitch isn’t dead. He’s alive and well and was contacted about Shane that night. Told about the stabbing, told how close to death Shane was…”

       “But he never came,” Mai softly murmured; infinitely sad for Shane and Daisy.

     “He doesn’t care. He’s never cared,” Sheera responded lowly. “And when they were married, Roy treated Aunt Daisy like crap. He only used her and he ignored Shane,” she paused and her eyes moved away from Caleb’s face. They widened slightly in comprehension, “and maybe now I know why...” no one interrupted and waited for her to go on.

     She did after a moment, looking back at Caleb. That hateful look was back in her eyes. “There is only room for one person in Roy Williamson’s life and that’s Roy. Has and always will be. Shane is thinking of Roy when he sees his mom dating Shrod. Daisy was so hurt, flattened really, and I don’t think Shane would be comfortable with any man getting close to her. He’s probably mad at her for taking such a risk at being hurt again. And he’s also probably shocked that this is even happening. Aunt Daisy hasn’t looked at another man since Roy finally walked out on them for the last time. And to top that all off, if your mom started seriously dating Shrod, wouldn’t you be scared?”

     Sheera stood up then and declared she needed to get back to the lodge. Her mom would probably need help with Shane and Aunt Daisy. Mai decided to go with her and coaxed the boys to stay out on the slopes together since clearly they weren’t finished coasting the white waves yet. Sheera was immensely relieved when Jake went off with Caleb. It was so clear in her eyes that Mai laughed in her face.

     As they walked down the steps of the café, Mai stuck her gloved hands into her heavy jacket and glanced at her friend. “So what was that about the kitchen?”

       “Damien and Jared were doing it in the kitchen when the helicopter landed.”

     This produced a giggle from Mai. “Did they get caught?”

     “Unfortunately no.”

     Mai laughed quietly and went back to studying people as they went by. “It’s so cute the new things Damien discovers with Jared.”

     “Yeah, guess so,” Sheera replied. “It’s a relief too. Damien slept with me last night. I don’t think they fought but something happened.”

       “And Damien staying in today,” Mai went on with a nod, tossing a look over her shoulder. “And Shrod showing up early.”

       “Something’s going on that’s for sure,” Sheera agreed. “Damien was being twitchy yesterday too. And then there’s Jared being more paranoid than normal and Shrod getting us that insane RV-”

     Mai grabbed Sheera’s hand and started to quickly drag her back to the snowmobiles. “We’re being followed.”

     “Well… we’re hot. It happens.”

     “This is different.”

     “It’s probably the Shrod Sec then.”

     “No. It’s not them either.”

     Sheera took in Mai’s tone and did not question her further. She picked up her pace, not even turning to look. She probably wouldn’t see them anyway. She didn’t have the eye for that. Mai though… Mai’s had all sorts of training since she was a baby. They quickly hopped on one of their mobiles, leaving the other for Jake and Caleb. Mai got on behind Sheera, taking another quick glance over her shoulder as she did so. Then she leaned forward and dropped her chin onto Sheera’s shoulder. “Go.”

     Sheera went.

 

* * *

 

Damien made it to the room and with a breath of relief realized he’d made it without anyone seeing him. But a hand dropped on his shoulder just as he pressed his ear to the door. He jumped and spun around to find Tony there, grinning sharply at him. Damien opened his mouth to defend his actions, but Tony lifted a finger to hover in front of his lips, and then they both moved to get comfortable in order to eavesdrop and by the time they were settled, the two tuned into the middle of the conversation being held within the room beyond the door.

   “Honey, you’re making too much of this.”

   “You’re out of your mind, Mom!” Shane shouted incredulously. “Why aren’t you listening?”

    “Shane, you really are. Damien thought I would enjoy coming up to vacation with you. To be with you for Christmas. You know we haven’t been on a vacation in many years.”

    “That’s a nice thought. Great one… Only it’s not true! Do you think I’m an idiot? Huh, Mom? And how come you keep keeping things secret? Your first date with Shrod for one and now this! You could have at least told me! Do you even know what you’re getting into? It’s fucking Damien Shrod! Of Shrod Group! Hello? Are you in there, Mom? Not likely! Apparently you jumped right in blindfolded and now you’re on a getaway with Damien Shrod the fucking second! You HAVE gone insane!”

     Damien inwardly smiled as he listened to Shane’s sarcastic and outraged tone. When Shane paused in his shouting, Damien peeled his ear from the door and turned to Tony. “When you two have your little fights does he always argue like this?” Tony’s lips peeled back with a sharp grin. “You end the fight by fucking him, don’t you?”

     “Seven times out of ten. One time we were having a nasty fight about biochemistry versus bioengineering-”

     “A nerd fight. Cute.”

     “Dude, listen. This ass was seriously trying to convince me-”

     Damien waved a hand in front of Tony’s face as he was no longer interested and he probably wouldn’t understand anyway. He could hear Miss D talking again and returned his ear to the door in time to hear her declare she thought his father was lovely. “Lovely?” he mouthed to himself in confusion. Was his father lovely?

     “Lovely?” Shane shrieked. “Are you freaking kidding me? Have you slept with him? You’ve slept with him already, haven’t you?!”

     Damien finally snickered aloud. “God, he’s so queer.”

     “Cute,” Tony corrected.

     “Same thing.”

     “Shane!”

     “WHAT?!”

     “That is none of your business! And no I haven’t! You will not question me like that again, mister!”

     They heard a very loud frustrated moan. “This is insane.”

    “What about his son?” Daisy asked after a minute of uncomfortable silence, in which Tony knew Shane was standing in that room grinding his teeth and flushed with anger. “You like him-”

   “What’s he got to do with anything? Damien’s awesome, yeah! I love him but he doesn’t have anything to do with this. He’s not dating my mom!”

     Damien scrunched up his nose at the thought.

   “You’ve told me how much his father supports him. You’ve told me you like Damien senior-”

   “As a boss and the dad of one of my best friends!” Shane shouted, clearly getting desperate and frustrated. “He’s… got power. He’s one of the most powerful people on the planet! Shrod’s more powerful than the President, Senate, and Congress combined!”

     Daisy laughed. “You’re over exaggerating.”

     “Shrod Group owns half the world!”

     “This may be true but I’m not afraid of that.”

     “That’s what I don’t get! You should be, Mom! After Dad… You have no idea. He’s not exactly a saint, here.”

     “I know that too. I have gotten to know him, baby. We didn’t start off dating from the very beginning.”

     “Sure as hell did!”

     “No,” Daisy went on calmly as if she didn’t have her son yelling her ear off. “For a few weeks there we were only friends. At the beginning. Your accident-”

     “My _accident_?” Shane hissed, clearly furious now.

     “Oh, baby, you know I don’t like to…”

     There was a half a minute of silence, before, “I know. I’m sorry.”

   “Your… hospitalization made it impossible for us to be only acquaintances. Damien, _my_ Damien, was quite clear in his anger. Quite upfront about what he wanted to happen and what he knew was going to happen. And I’ll have you know just because we lived in a small town doesn’t mean I don’t know what goes on with the world. I knew of Damien and Shrod Group before you did, and _I know_ , baby. As I said before, Damien has been uncomfortably upfront about many things… Things that would be completely pointless to confess if not true.”

     “And yet you’re still here… This wouldn’t be because he paid my medical bills, would it?”

     Daisy responded with a low and very clipped, “Shane.”

     Tony winced. Damien pressed closer. He didn’t want to miss a word.

    “Sorry,” Shane muttered. “Didn’t mean that. Know you never would. I just… don’t understand.”

     “He’s a very charming man, Shane. Your Damien gets much of himself from his father, doesn’t he? Well except my Damien is broader and more… manly. But your Damien is really… well, I find him sweet actually.”

     “Oh God,” Shane choked and Tony silently laughed. Damien was grinning like a kid against the door. He was loving this and he wasn’t upset at all with Shane for trying to scare his mother off his father. Any sensible person would. Shane loved his mommy and wanted to protect her.

     “And then,” Daisy went on as if she hadn’t just traumatized her only child, “when he welcomed us into his house for your recovery we spent more time together and conversed more, and despite the questionable lines of his morality, I came to understand and really like him as a person. There are a lot of sides to Damien and I have enjoyed our time together. He’s so different, Shane and I find I really like his character.

   “He works too much, you know. I try to tell him every time I’m able to see him. I’m very glad he came up here for a small break to spend with his son.”

     “Jesus!” Shane cried in what sounded like awe.

     “What’s wrong, honey?”

     “…your smile. It was kind of…”

     “Yes?”

     “New. Soft. Um… I need to get drunk. Right. Now.”

     “Shane!”

     “Man…”

     “That’s Tony’s influence. I knew there would be a downside to you dating an older man. I’ll have to talk to him-”

     “This isn’t about me, Mom! And don’t you dare talk to Tony! How embarrassing would that be?!”

     A throat clearing down the hall had Damien and Tony popping away from the door. Tony tried to look innocent as he shoved hands into pockets and turned around. Damien was ruining the innocent effect by grinning outrageously. Tony groaned quietly when he realized it was Shrod who caught them eavesdropping. Damien’s smile didn’t slip once.

     “What are you two doing?” Shrod demanded with a narrowed look.

     “Taking a walk. Is that a crime?” Damien replied as he and Tony walked towards Shrod.

     “Taking a walk my ass,” Shrod responded with a deep frown, peering suspiciously at both young men.

     “I get it,” Damien said, stopping in front of him. “You wanted something more and different. I think it’s going to work.”

     “Am I supposed to know what you’re talking about?”

     “Miss D.”

       Damien gave him a bright smile and then walked around him, back towards the stairs.

       “Damien, I want to talk to you!”

       “Later, Daddy! I need to make a call.”

       Tony followed quickly after Damien, hoping to get down the stairs before Shane came out of the room and caught him. As they hit the den, Damien snapped his cell phone out and soon had it against his ear. He bypassed the den and headed straight for the empty kitchen. Tony knew the call was to Sheera

     That left him alone with Rose in the den. It seemed Jared had taken off and was nowhere to be seen. Tony looked back towards the stairs, wondering when Shane would give it up or when Daisy would finally lose her temper. Though he doubted she would. And he also wondered what Shrod had been doing up there and why he hadn’t come down yet. The elder adult rooms were all downstairs. Tony smirked. He bet the old man was eavesdropping as well. Damien had to have learned it from somewhere.

     “Tony, come and sit with me. Seems I’ve been left alone.”

     Tony turned and smiled at Rose and took the seat beside her. “What’s Rich up to? Why didn’t he come?”

     “He couldn’t get off work. But I know he’ll enjoy the holiday alone. He’s made plans to go out with your mom and Jerry during the holiday. They’re going to try and maybe get Matilda to go out. We thought with Kimiko’s help, she might be persuaded to go out with them.”

     He only nodded. Matilda was Caleb’s mom and Kimiko was Mai’s. After the death of her husband, Matilda rarely went out. And that was mostly because Caleb’s mom was super shy and she didn’t like to be amongst a lot of people. Fortunately, Kimiko had managed to get passed Matilda’s shy defenses once it was clear their children were serious about each other and she kept in constant contact with her daughter’s boyfriend’s mother.

     Tony and Rose talked for a little while longer before Shrod appeared. Shrod hadn’t been seated a second before Shane was walking down the stairs. He ignored everyone and took the hallway beside the kitchen that led beneath the stairs. Another set of bedrooms were located down that way, as well as a smaller den. The hallway also led to the large patio where the sauna was located. Daisy appeared a minute later. She sat beside Shrod with a small frown.

     Tony left them, followed after his baffled boyfriend, and found him in the smaller den. Shane was sitting on the far couch; poised at the edge and hunched over with his hands dangling between his knees. He was staring blankly at the rug in front of him.

     “You look shaken up. Need a dick?”

   Shane looked up at him, incredulity written all over his face. And then he abruptly snorted out a laugh. He shook his head and watched Tony sit beside him. “I don’t get it. They don’t match at all.”

   Tony shrugged and relaxed back, dropping his head back against the cushion to stare at the ceiling. He draped his arm over the back as well to where his fingers would be in direct contact with Shane’s hair when he leaned back. “People are different. Sometimes opposites attract.”

   “She doesn’t know what she’s getting into. I don’t care what she says.”

     _Sounded like she did to me_ , Tony thought. “Shrod’s not a bad guy, Shane,” he said instead, stating his words firmly because it was true.

     Shane looked at him over his shoulder and then finally leaned back. “No, I know that. It’s just… c’mon, dude. We know who he employs and why. And we know he takes care of business like a… like the freaking Godfather, Tony!”

     Tony nodded, his fingers already playing with a strand of hair. “That’s one way of putting it, yeah. A good way. Because Shrod’s like that; he works by a code. His own code, but a code none the less. He takes care of business and he doesn’t allow anyone to try and knock him down. It’s not like he goes out and kills the competition. At least not for real. But there are some things he won’t tolerate, no matter what.

     “As a kid Shrod remembers being helpless. Shrod’s father worked his ass off to get them out of poverty. He’s one of those success cases you read about. But before that Shrod’s family struggled and it took all of his father’s life to pull them out of it. Literally, Damien’s granddad worked himself to death, and Shrod swore to never let his family fall as far as they had been before his father’s success. He swore never to be helpless again. He’s built up the company following after his father and he’s taken it places his father never dreamed it could go.”

     He looked at Shane, pulling on his hair some. “Some things are necessary, Shane. You know. You’ve seen it. Shrod takes care of his own and he takes care of business, but he isn’t emotionless and he doesn’t make decisions lightly. He does what he needs to do to keep in control. He does what he needs to in order to keep things running smoothly.”

     “How do you know so much about him?”

     “I told you about how he helped me and Mom when we were having problems with my dad. Shrod’s always talked to me and given me advice. He never turned me away when I ended up at the estate in the middle of the night with bruises all over my face.” Tony cocked a grin. “Not that Damien would have ever let him turn me away anyway, but still…”

   Shane shifted a little, angling closer to Tony, and dropped his head onto his boyfriend’s shoulder. He knew about Tony’s past with his dad. They had that in common. Shitty selfish dads. Only Tony’s dad had been physically abusive.

   “Actually,” Tony went on. “I don’t like to think about what might have happened had Shrod not helped me. I would have gone to juvie and then probably prison and my life would be completely different.”

     Shane bit his lip. He knew some of the story. The summery at least. It all came to head when Tony caught his dad hitting his mother. It was the first and only time. Tony had come home from school one day, found that, and went ballistic. For the first time it was Tony who started the fight between the two. He’d never been the one to start it. Fight back, definitely. But never start it. Tony had inherited his dad’s temper and that night it exploded. He probably would have killed his dad if it hadn’t been for his mother.

     After his father left the house- hobbling, dribbling blood, and swearing to come back and teach his son a lesson- Tony pulled out the gun from the lock box kept in his closet. He told his mom to leave the house and not come back. He would find her when it was done. Still shaken up from the beating she took from her husband and completely shocked and frightened at her sixteen year old's calm fury, Lauretta fled. Straight to Shrod.

   “Shrod saved my life,” Tony murmured against Shane’s ear; telling his lover something he hadn’t told him before. “Dad was killed in a car accident five hours later. Never made it back to the house. I was about to do something stupid and Shrod saved my goddamn life. No one’s ever said anything, but it’s completely obvious to all involved that the car accident wasn’t a coincidence. Everyone else assumed he’d crashed because he was driving drunk again but I knew better and I never cared. I was _glad_. Relieved because I knew he’d be back. He was always so controlling… Don’t let me turn into him, Shane.”

     And that was a major thing for Tony. He had a real fear he was turning into his father. Because he did have that temper and the need to control sometimes.

     “You’re you, Tony. You won’t ever be like him.” Shane twisted around some more. Moving so that he could press his lips against his boyfriend’s. “I won’t let you,” he promised because he knew Tony needed to hear it.

     Tony grabbed the back of Shane’s head and went back to kissing him. He dug his fingers in and tugged Shane’s hair as he devoured his boyfriend’s mouth. But when Shane remained relatively unresponsive to his hands and lips, he pulled back and grinned at his boyfriend’s annoyed expression. “You want to run, don’t you?”

       “Yeah.”

       Tony nodded and climbed off him. “C’mon. We’ll go change. We can use the small gym in the main lodge. No track but there’s some treadmills,” he told him, holding a hand out.

       Shane perked up immediately; grabbing Tony’s hand and jumping to his feet.

       Half an hour later Tony was reclined back on the weight benches doing nothing. He’d been using the leg press but eventually just stopped, too distracted. He couldn’t keep his eyes off Shane’s legs as he ran as fast as the treadmill could go. He ran and ran, pumping those legs, breathing hard, eyes glazed and unfocused on the wall opposite them. Every once in a while Shane would scowl at nothing in particular and then he would try and run faster; becoming completely frustrated when he remembered he was already running as fast as the treadmill could go.

     “Stop staring,” Shane huffed out. He wasn’t looking, but he could feel his boyfriend’s eyes on him.

     “Maybe if you hadn’t decided to run in shorts I wouldn’t be sitting here with a hard on and thinking of the many ways I will wreck that ass when we get back to our room.”

     Shane physically reacted from the sound of that low promising voice and when he turned to glance at Tony, he could see the promise. It brightened Tony’s eyes dramatically. Shane felt a pleasant prickling sensation spread over his body and he made himself turn away before he tripped over his feet and seriously injured himself.

     But all that disappeared in a sudden pain and he quickly slowed the speed of the treadmill. He braced one hand on the handle and hunched over, pressing the other against his side. Even with his head hanging, Tony could see Shane had his eyes squeezed shut.

    “Shit,” Tony hissed; standing and quickly moving towards him, all thoughts of fucking Shane disappearing in his worry.

    “Just a stitch. No biggie.”

    “Fuck that. Get off. You’re done.”

    “Don’t start!” Shane snapped back.

    Tony didn’t say anything else; though it was clear he wanted to. By the narrowing of his eyes and his balled up hands. It was the fact that he was clearly restraining himself that had Shane relenting. “Yeah, I’m done for today. It was a good run.”

     Tony tossed him a towel and grabbed his own from the clean folded pile on a table near the door. Shane pat himself down before putting his sweat pants on. He’d just wrapped the towel around his neck when the ends were grabbed and he was roughly jerked into a chest. A mouth crushed his and a tongue was brutally forced into his mouth. Shane moaned and roughly twisted his fingers into Tony’s hair, returning Tony’s kisses with equal harshness. He’d just been shoved against the door when his cell phone started ringing.

     Tony pulled his mouth away. “Ignore it,” he muttered before swiping his tongue down Shane’s neck. One hand was still in Shane’s hair while the other had dipped under his pants to grab a handful of ass.

       Shane pulled in some air, gasped when Tony started sucking on one spot and rubbing against him in a very specific awesome way. At first he ignored the call just as his boyfriend wanted. But when it started going off again and jerking him back to the present, he finally answered it. Answering the call would distract him and keep Tony from doing what he wanted, which was to fuck him right there in the gym room. He wasn’t really up for that. Tony, the pervert, was up for it anywhere.

       “Yeah?” he answered and had to grin at Tony’s frustrated scowl. His grin faded though when hearing his mother’s voice and listening to what she wanted him to do now. “No.”

       Tony pulled back slightly, dragging his hands away from the sexy body vibrating beneath him. Disbelief was in Shane’s eyes.

     “I’m not doing it, Mom. Don’t involve me-” Shane winced and then pressed his lips together. And then he kind of drooped in defeat. Tony wrapped around him because he looked kicked. “Fine…Yes, fine. At seven.” He pulled the cell from his ear and hissed through his teeth. His arms went back around Tony’s back and he dropped his face to a shoulder. “Shrod made reservations at some restaurant. He wants Damien and me to go with them.”

       Sighing from the fact that he wouldn’t get to presently fuck his boyfriend, Tony draped his arms over Shane’s slumped shoulders. “Give him a chance, Shane. And give your mom one too. She’s already proven she can and will stand up to him. She declined that gala invite, didn’t she? Shrod invited her _as his date_ and she declined. Because she wasn’t ready for that. Your mom knows what she’s doing. She’s obviously not afraid to stick up for herself in an honest way and I think Shrod likes that. I think it’s something he needs too.”

       Shane dropped back against the wall again and glared at the ceiling. “I wanted you to be on my side.”

     Tony bent his head down, pressing an open mouth against Shane’s Adam’s apple. “I am on your side.”

     “No. You want _in_ side.”

       Tony grinned against his neck. “Yeah, that too.”

       Shane’s frown turned into a small smile. “When I get back from this nightmare dinner, I’ll let you wreck my ass.”

      Tony’s soft laughter in his ear caused him to shiver. “Let me? No. I’m going to take it.”

       Shane shoved the cocky asshole away from him.

 

* * *

 

 Jared had just finished having a little chat with the Shrod Sec and was heading back to the lodge when he heard a snowmobile approaching. He turned around to see Mai and Sheera. They veered off course when they saw him. He stopped walking when noticing they were headed straight for him.

     “Mai says she saw people following us. Someone other than the Shrod Sec,” Sheera said the moment they were beside him. Mai climbed off the mobile after her.

     “They weren’t Shrod Sec,” she reiterated with a nod. “Two guys and they were taking photos or video of us.”

     “Could it be your people?” he asked the Japanese woman.

     Mai shook her head, a little smile on her face. “That doesn’t happen unless grandfather has heard about plots against me or Mother. He would tell me before he sends anyone and it would be Father or my brother first to come protect. This is not the case here. This is someone else.”

       _Yes and I can guess who,_ Jared thought darkly, internally cursing because this new development made some things clear. “Did they look like they wanted to attack?”

       “No. It’s as I said. They were following and watching, and as soon as we left the mountain they backed off. They turned back and not because we lost them.”

     “Right. Okay. I need to make a few calls. Continue to keep an eye out for now. Let me know immediately if you see anything else strange. And Mai? You might want to make that call.” Mai nodded.

       Sheera huffed. “What? That’s it? That’s all you’ve got for us?”

       “For now. Yes.” The woman huffed again and spun around to stomp off to the lodge. Jared shook his head, half smiling. “She needs to get proper fucked already.”

       Mai snickered and nodded in agreement as she hopped back onto the snowmobile. She gave him a wave before continuing on to park the snowmobile at the back. As Jared slowly followed after he dug out his cell phone, glaring as it went off with some stupid song.

     “I didn’t give you permission to change my ring tone,” was his greeting. Damien laughed and then completely changed the subject. “I’m only five feet away from the lodge, princess. Is this necessary? Can’t you wait until I get inside?”

     _“ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME, BASTARD?”_

“No.” He disconnected the call and imagined he could hear Damien’s enraged shout from where he stood just outside. He stepped in to find Shrod, Rose, and Daisy staring up the stairs.  

     Shrod then turned to him. “What did you do now?”

     “Your spoiled son has no patience.”

     “I HEARD THAT!”

     Jared made his way upstairs and did not appreciate the amused look coming from his boss. Especially since he knew from Damien’s call that whatever was going on had to do with Shrod. So this was Shrod’s fault, whatever it was.

     Damien was waiting for him just outside of their room. He looked deceptively calm. Jared smirked and walked into the room without a word. He heard the door shut softly behind and heard the pounding footsteps. He spun around four seconds later, grabbed his seething lover and threw him on the bed before he could get away with the attack.

       The air and temper was knocked out of Damien when he hit the bed and Jared had crawled over him before he could draw in a surprised breath.

       “I’m listening now,” Jared announced against Damien’s mouth.

     “Uh… yeah. Forgot what I was going to say.”

       “Your father did something?” he prodded before taking Damien’s bottom lip harshly between his teeth. Damien’s legs fell open wider, his eyes slipped closed, and the sound of the deep moan vibrating from within his throat went straight to Jared’s cock.

     Jared spent a great amount of time snogging his lover. He’d never actually willingly snogged a person before. Never had the urge. He seemed to have the urge all the time now though. It was lovely snogging Damien. It was an adrenaline rush, a sudden forced stop, and connecting. And it was definitely arousing. Damien always made it so without even trying.

     Eventually Jared had to release his hold on Damien’s mouth in order to allow his lover the opportunity to speak.

     “He thinks it’s a great idea to force Shane and myself to accompany them on their date tonight. As if Shane is in any way up for that. Not today, at least. They just got here!”

     “I’m already aware of Shrod’s evening plans. As for Shane, there’s not much you can do about it if his mother wants this to happen as well.”

     “I don’t like it when you know everything before me. It means Daddy confides in you first.”

     “I’m still part of the security. That’s all.”

     He was faced with a sneer. “Hardly.”

     “Damien!”

     Jared groaned and dropped his face against the pillow under Damien’s head. His lover laughed and then turned his head a fraction just in time to see Shane barge into the room, eyes wide with irritation and yet so round and lost. Damien immediately began shoving Jared. The man got the hint quick enough and rolled off; leaving the bed and crossing the room to sit at the desk where his laptop lay, intending to do some ‘work’ since he hadn’t anything more pressing to do at the moment. Shane would keep Damien busy probably for the rest of the evening.

     Damien ran over to Shane, grabbed him, and had pulled him into the bathroom before he could say even one thing. “You can bitch while I fix the hair Jared ruined with his brutality.”

       There was a sharp barked laugh from outside the bathroom and Damien grinned like crazy. And Shane did bitch. Nearly everything he said was the exact same thing he’d said to his mom, with certain things omitted. Shane didn’t bother mentioning his attempts at trying to scare his mother away from his father. Damien only found this amusing. He found it all funny because he could see how frightened cutie was for his mother. And this only made Damien feel the need to soothe Shane and also egg him on.

   Finally Shane ended with, “this is… This is…. I don’t know what this is. But it’s crazy!”

     “I know,” Damien agreed before turning away from the mirror. He faced Shane and the fingers in his hair paused in their styling. “Gonna try to warn your mom off from Daddy some more?”

     Shane’s eyes slid to him. “Yes.”

     Damien grinned. “He’s gonna win.”

     “You’re not mad?”

     Damien snorted and waved that away before returning to the very important task of making sure his hair was pristine for tonight’s outing. He then went about choosing what he would wear that night and Shane followed him around, telling him one of many stories about his deadbeat dad’s treatment of Miss D. Apparently the bastard walked all over her throughout their marriage and only paid attention to her in order to use her in some way. His main target was Daisy’s trust fund. Damien turned to Shane in surprise at this, having not known Miss D had money.

       “Not a lot, not anymore and certainly nothing compared to your personal wealth,” Shane replied lowly with clenched fists. “My dad spent as much as he could before leaving us, before Mom finally locked him out of her accounts. That’s why she’s able to stay with me in Allmsted without worrying about work. She doesn’t work anymore. She doesn’t need to. Aunt Rose is the same. Their parents left them both with trust funds.”

   “You said he used it up,” Damien prodded.

   “Not all and Mom invested some of what she had left. She’s good at it apparently and already tripled what she put in. If she’s careful she can live comfortably on what’s left.”

     “No wonder the old man fancies her,” Jared murmured from across the room. “Clever and resourceful. Good with money except when it comes to bastard husbands…”

     Damien had just thrown a narrowed glare at Jared when his phone started ringing. The ring tone indicated this call was work related and he hissed his displeasure between clenched teeth as he walked over to the bedside table to pick it up. He checked the number. “Boleman…”

       “Director of Shrod Technologies,” Jared reminded.

       “I knew that!” he snapped.

       Their antics managed to get a well earned snicker from Shane, who was now looking way less hostile and slightly less indignant now that he’d been able to rant freely. There was a smile back in his eyes. Unfortunately Damien knew if Boleman were calling him now, it was for something important. Shane seemed to see this in his eyes, so he shrugged his shoulders and grinned. “Gonna go and get myself ready for this hell. Later.”

     Damien blew Shane a kiss, which earned him another laugh, and then turned his attention to his phone and scowled as he answered. “I’m on holiday with my family, Boleman. With explicit instructions not to be disturbed. Give me one good reason…” Damien frowned fiercely when Boleman interrupted him to spew out whatever emergency seemed to have come up.

     In truth it wasn’t an emergency and Boleman was simply panicking because if this slight PR problem didn’t get fixed, Daddy would happily give his job away to someone else. Shrod already regretted promoting Matthew Boleman in the first place. Damien rather thought Jared should be Director In Charge of Shrod Technologies. He would be brilliant at it and he would take that part of Shrod into the stars.

     “Yes, well,” he continued on to the man on the other end of the line when Boleman had finished speaking. “It sounds to me as if I need to go there and fix this problem myself since I’m so good in dealing with the press. Should I do that, Matthew? Do _I_ need to _step in_ and _fix_ this _problem_?” Damien asked, lowering his voice with each stressed word. Then he laughed. “No. I didn’t think so… why is your reception so bad?” he suddenly demanded when Matthew’s words started cutting in and out and static shrieked in his ear.

     He pulled the phone away and took a deep calming breath. And then frowned when he saw Jared sitting there looking amused. “Matthew, get another phone! You should be able to afford a better one... The reception keeps breaking up! Of course it’s on your side… just because I’m in the mountains doesn’t mean there’s no fucking reception here! WE have TWO cell towers within fifteen miles of here. As you should already know since they’re OUR cell towers! None of our cells have been malfunctioning…

 “It’s happening again! Matthew, call me back on another-” he then went very still and pale and quiet.

     Jared took acute notice and stood just as the phone slipped from Damien’s fingers to fall to the floor. Damien began backing away, shaking his head with his eyes tightly closed. He brought shaking hands to the sides of his head, gripping his hair and covering his ears as his back hit the wall. His breath started coming out erratic; he was having a panic attack. A major one.

     “Damien? Damien?” Jared demanded, grabbing his arm and shaking him, trying to get his attention. But all Damien did was stand there with his eyes closed and slim frame shaking as if he’d just rolled around nude in the snow.  

     Jared moved away and retrieved Damien’s phone from the floor. Surprisingly, Boleman had kept on the line. “This is Newton,” he announced. “What did you say to him? What the hell did you say?”

     _“Nothing! He was complaining about the static on the line, but I could hear him just fine and then he stopped talking altogether.”_

     “Did you hear anything other than his voice right before he stopped talking?”

     _“No, Newton…. What’s going on?”_

     “Sort out the problem yourself, Boleman, or Shrod will hear of your need for assistance.”

     _“No!”_ Boleman answered quickly. _“No need. I’m on it.”_

     Jared hung up the phone and turned back to Damien, who by this point had slid down to the floor. He took a step and immediately his lover shrank away from him and he only stopped moving when the phone was tossed far away across the room, even then it was clear Damien was mentally back to being ten years old and terrified beyond belief. He wasn’t really seeing anything.

     As Jared knelt in front of him again, he was aware he couldn’t demand to know what happened. This panic attack seemed to be completely debilitating. He needed to pull Damien back to the now. This was important. Not just for the immediate present, but for the rest of their lives. This wasn’t a onetime thing. Damien would probably have these types of attacks occasionally for years to come. And Jared was determined to take care of the Shrod heir. In every way. Every day. He’d made that decision.

       “Damien,” he whispered, slowly moving a hand to Damien’s wrist. “Damien, you’re safe. You’re here with me. Look at me.” He applied pressure to the wrist he held until Damien’s eyes cleared a little and focused on him. Jared lifted a hand to his face, gently cupping his cheek.

     “I-it’s that s-song. That song… following me. It’s always following me. Can’t you hear it?” Damien’s voice was so small and Jared was certain he wasn’t being spoken to.

     “You’re safe,” Jared repeated, sliding his free hand along Damien’s waist. “You’re with me. You know me, right? Damien, look!” he barked when Damien started to look away again.

   He’d braced against Damien’s flinch. But at least now the Shrod heir was looking at him. He seemed to see him this time and he didn’t protest at all when Jared’s arm finally locked in place and dragged the younger man up onto his knees. Damien clung to him; pressing his face against the side of Jared’s and he was shaking badly still.

   “You’re safe.” Damien shook his head. “You are. You’re with me and I love you. Do you really think I’ll let someone get to you? Really think someone could get passed me? You need to tell me what’s going on so I can fix this. I’ll believe you, sweetheart,” he stressed, knowing that’s exactly why Damien had been silent for the last day and a half.

   Damien didn’t answer him. But he did move to kiss him. “No,” Jared breathed around Damien’s desperate mouth. “Damien-”

     Seeing as he wasn’t to be distracted, Damien quickly climbed to his feet and raced out of the room, leaving Jared alone kneeling on the floor and severely ticked off. He knew exactly where Damien had gone. To one of his friends. Most likely to Shane. However, Jared refused to give up. He refused to get frustrated.

   But he did get frustrated when he told Shrod about the incident, and after his boss having checked on his son, announced he was still taking Daisy, Shane, and Damien to dinner.

     “Shrod, you didn’t see him. Something happened! He had an attack that turned him into a child!”

     A look of warning flashed through Shrod’s eyes. “He’s going, end of discussion. He’ll be fine. He seems fine already and going out will help him.”

     “How can you say that? Something triggered this _massive_ attack-”

     “AND IT’S YOUR JOB TO FIND OUT WHAT IT IS! You do what you do best, Jared. Find out what’s going on and rectify the problem!”

     Shrod left him then; left him standing alone in the kitchen, for once seething furious at the old man. Why press the issue when he knew how bad his son’s attacks could be? It was one thing if Shrod, or anyone in their off mind, thought Damien was making this shite up, but he was clinically diagnosed as having Agoraphobia among a plethora of lesser issues. In Jared’s opinion, his lover did not need to be out in public right now.

     It wasn’t long before he heard them leaving for dinner. He wasn’t surprised when Damien left without speaking to him nor was he surprised to hear Shane grumbling as he reluctantly went along though he was relieved to see Damien looked to be breathing normally and his eyes were clear, if not a little dazed.

   He spent some more time alone in the kitchen thinking before finally making a decision. He then went out in search out the rest of his crazy team. He wondered how they would react to what he was about to explain.

 

* * *

 

He made sure Strathom was in the sitting room with Sheera’s lovely mother before joining the others once they’d gathered. Rose knew a fair bit about fashion, just like her daughter- though she wasn’t as much as an enthusiast or as much as a professional about it- but she knew and liked enough about it that they wouldn’t get bored of talking in the next half hour. And since Jake obviously wanted to date Sheera, the man was going to take advantage and use the time to try and charm her mother.

     Jared left them in the sitting room and crossed under the stairs, heading down the hall to the smaller den where the others were waiting for him.

     “Did you check?” he asked Caleb as he shut the door.

     “No bugs as far as I can tell.”

     Jared nodded and crossed the room to sit next to Tony. He blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair as the Caleb, Mai, and Sheera sat themselves across from him and Tony. Everyone remained silent and watched him, knowing he wouldn’t have called a meeting like this unless it was important. And they knew just by the way he was tense, whatever it was it was bad.

     “Damien had another panic attack earlier. A bad one.”

     “What happened?” Mai asked in worry. “Is he okay?”

       “No he’s not and he won’t be until….” he paused and knew he had to come out with it. “This is likely to get nasty and I’m going to make it so.” Jared matched eyes with all of them in turn; making sure they could see how serious he was being. “I don’t know when and I don’t know where, but it will happen. And I’m afraid… anyone close to Damien is probably already a target of some kind.” Jared turned to Tony. “Shane, me, you… Everyone here right now is a target.”

     He stopped there and let that sink in. He had no evidence, but he didn’t need physical evidence. Instances were adding up, piecing together. Jared stood by his thoughts. Nothing could scare Damien like this. Nothing except for his mother. And the way Damien had been acting since they’d come up to the mountains… she was obviously traumatizing him some way. Jared just wished he knew what that something was. He wished Damien would trust him enough to tell him without thinking he was going to get a back turned on him.

       Those around him all had similar expressions. He noticed the burning anger in Tony’s eyes and the angry determination in Caleb’s. The girls looked angry as well. Angry and mean. None of them doubted what he’d just said. Because they had seen the way Damien was acting. They knew what Damien was like when it concerned his mother.

     “We’re protected though. Right?” Sheera asked. “We’ve got a whole goddamned team of security following us around the slopes and the town.”

     “Yes and Mai noticed you were being followed. But you weren’t being followed by Shrod Sec. And the bloody security team didn’t catch on to your followers… listen well and let me explain something to you. She is a force to be reckoned with. She is a true psychopath. This is why Shrod married her in the first place. Psychopaths hide very well and he had no idea what he was really marrying until it was all over. She’s a real monster. The real deal.

     “I don’t know how much you know about her but in some circles Marissa Renee Tarrington is not someone to mess with. She was on her way to becoming the most powerful woman in the states before Shrod found out about what she was doing with Damien. And then she disappeared along with her now ripped-to-shreds reputation.” Jared pierced them all with a look again. “No one as ambitious as she is will simply disappear. No one like her is going to stand for having her free ride stripped away right when she was about to hit the top. This woman is a problem and she will always be a problem.”

     “What do we do?” Tony asked, knowing Jared already had the makings of a plan.

     “It’s important you four are prepared. In any way. At least until she is gone. I’m going to get all of you a license to carry and you will have GPS tracking devices installed into your mobiles.”

     Again this statement was met with no resistance. Though Caleb leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. “You’ll be on the top of her list when she discovers your relationship with Damien. This is about hurting Damien and Shrod.”

     “I’m sure she already knows, but yes,” Jared nodded, not the least bit concerned for himself. “And Shrod. Shrod will be the last on her list. She wants to hurt both of them. She’ll hurt Shrod by hurting Damien. She knows the love Shrod has for Damien, even when the two weren’t getting along. Shrod was never really going to give up on his son and everyone knew it which is why she was very good at hiding her abuse.”

       “Don’t know about that,” Caleb muttered. “There were some days Damien would come to school thinking he’d be locked out of his house by the end of the day.”

         Sheera snorted. “Shrod never ever meant it.” Then she sucked in a breath and straightened. “What about Aunt Daisy?”

       Jared felt a grimace coming on and rubbed the spot between his eyes. “Yes. If the affair goes on your Aunt will become a target.”

       “And Shane…” Tony muttered.

       “Like I said, we’re all in her sights.” It pleased him when he didn’t see fear in any of their eyes. Only acceptance and determination. “I have to admit… it’s lovely you all have moral ambiguity. You’re more prepared to deal with this and less likely to die.”

       Mai laughed and then bat her eye lashes at him. “You say the sweetest things!”

       Jared chuckled under his breath.

       “What about Jake?” asked Sheera.

       “At this point I don’t think she has enough Intel to determine whether he’s important or not. To her he’s probably just a one-time guest or something as equally unimportant. I think it works to our and his advantage that he arrived the morning after and didn’t travel with us.”

       Sheera nodded, stood, and hurried out of the room. Everyone knew what she was about.

     “He’s not going to leave,” Mai announced. “He’s been waiting for an opportunity like this.”

     “Do you think she’ll tell him what’s going on?”

     “When he keeps telling her he’s not going, yeah. She’ll tell him the basics. To scare him away.”

       “Do you think he’ll leave then?”

     It was Caleb who answered. “Hell no! He might even get interested. Did you know the guy owns a hand cannon?”

     “A cannon?”

     Caleb turned to Tony. “Yeah, man. He’s got a-”

     “Smith and Wesson .44,” Jared said, smirking. “He’s also the proud owner of a Desert Eagle. Have a file on him too,” he ended, when he knew Caleb was going to ask how he knew that already. “Wonder if he brought either of those with him. Probably not.”

     “Well,” Tony began. “We’ll soon enough find out. We’ll find that out and we’ll find out if he really is serious about Sheera. If he stays, that’s that. Nothing says commitment like putting your ass on the line when it’s unnecessary.”

       “He’s staying,” Caleb said with certainty.

  

* * *

 

“Sheera, there you are. I was telling Mr. Strathom how nice it is to finally be able to put a face to the name I’ve been hearing around the house for years now.”

     Sheera inwardly groaned and prayed hard she wasn’t blushing. It didn’t help that fucking Jake had that boyish grin on his face. “Well I can’t help bitching about him, can I? He’s the worst boss ever. Aren’t you, Jake? A regular dick. You’ve given me only one pay raise in the six years I’ve slaved for you.”

     Jake opened his mouth, no doubt to call her a bitch. But then he remembered he was sitting next to her mother and shut his mouth quick. Sheera grinned at him. But Rose grinned back at her and Sheera’s smile slipped in worry. Rose leaned closer to Jake, clear mischief in her eyes.

     “I assure you, Mr. Strathom, she’s been raised better.”

     “Mom,” Sheera ground out.

     And then Jake blasted Rose with a smile that would have charmed even the devil. “Call me Jake, ma’am. If you don’t mind.”

     Rose’s cheeks flushed a little and her smile grew and she nodded and Sheera ground her teeth as her mom went on to call him Jake with that high pitched voice every female uses when she’s been bewitched by a good looking man. Jake’s sweet act made her want to gag, strangle, and kiss him all at once.

     “She likes to put on a show just for me.”

     “She talks about you enough-”

     “Mommy, stop!”

       Sheera rushed forward and grabbed Jake by the arm; jerking him off the sofa and dragging him far away from her mother. She chose to go upstairs since no one was up there at the moment.

     “Jake, God!” she hissed as they climbed to the landing. He was still grinning when they ended up down the hall and she turned to face him with a dark glare. “You need to leave. Right now.”

     “Come on, darlin’. It’s just teasing. Don’t get mad.”

     “Fuck off, Jake. Get back in your hypocritical hybrid SUV and go back to the city.”

     Finally Jake’s grin disappeared. For a split second. Sheera’s eyes widened in surprise when his expression darkened to frustrated anger. He looked seriously pissed this time. And then the look was gone and Jake went back to grinning. “I’m not going anywhere, honey.”

     “Yes you are!” Sheera nearly shouted in her own frustration. Completely baffled and in love with Jake’s infallible patience. “You’re going to go home! I don’t want you here! You’re ruining the holiday!”

     “Fucking liar.”

     “Jake! Go!”

     Jake took a good long hard look at her then. At the lines around her gorgeous always cursing mouth. He took in the paleness of her face, the wild look in her eyes, and her shaking hands. He could see nothing but fear. How had he missed it before? “Hey,” he murmured softly and risked his balls by stepping into her space and sliding an arm around her waist. “Sheera?” he softly grabbed the back of her head, fingers digging into her long dark hair and pulling gently until her chin was pointed up and her eyes met his. “What’s going on? And don’t give me that crap you were giving me before.”

       “Jake, you have to go home,” she whispered.

     “Why?”

       “It’s not safe for you here. If you leave now you won’t be in danger.”

       “In danger? Is someone coming after the Shrods?”

       “Yes.”

       “Then you’ll be leaving too.”

     “No. No, it’s… I’m not trying to be dramatic, but it’s really too late for us. She knows who we are and what we mean to Damien. We’ve been in his picture for years. We’re his family. She’s coming for us too. It doesn’t matter if we stay or go. It’ll be the same anywhere.”

       “Who’s she?”

       Sheera pulled away from him. “Stop asking questions and go already!”

       “Who is _she_?” Jake demanded, invading her space again. Eyes narrowed and hard.

     Sheera pulled in a short breath, realizing he wasn’t joking around. He wanted to know now. “Damien’s mother. There is so much into it and I can’t really explain it all to you. But you should go. If you go now, you’ll be okay. You’ll be safe. So you see it’s better if you leave.”

       “I’m not going anywhere, Sheera.” He watched her hands ball into fists at her sides and smirked. “Especially not without you. And if y’all are in danger and aren’t going home, then I’m staying too. I’m not a fucking coward, darlin’.”

       “This isn’t a joke!” she shrieked and Jake stepped back, wincing. “This isn’t a laughing matter. We had people following us when we left that bar! It wasn’t Shrod Sec. We were having a meeting downstairs just now. We’re talking about carrying fucking guns around with us. I’m not fucking around here, you fucking moron!”

       “I’m not leaving,” Jake said firmly.

       “Stop being so stubborn and stupid, Jake! You don’t know anything about us. You might think you know me, but we… we get into so much shit. You don’t want to be involved.”

       Jake crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. “Talking about Shane’s stabbing. And then the fact you all went out and took revenge. Killed the entire gang. Pro like.” He whistled in appreciation. “Swift retribution was carried out, wouldn’t you say?”

       Sheera took a quick step back, paling further. Her eyes flickered and it was clear she was questioning everything she knew about him. Thinking maybe she should never have trusted him at all. Fearing for her friends because of what he’d figured out. She was looking at him as if he were some stranger getting ready to hang them.

     “Sheera!” he snapped, easily pressing into her space again. Pressing her back until she was against the door. She bumped into it and her pretty eyes got so wide. Jake stopped a mere two inches away. It was enough for Sheera to barely keep breathing. “I figured it out weeks ago and still I accepted Damien’s invite. What does that tell you?”

     “Nothing, Jake. It tells me nothing.”

     She pushed against his chest and managed to slide away. She was jogging towards the stairs by the time Jake turned in her direction. He didn’t catch her until she was in the downstairs hallway. He grabbed her arm, made her stop and she was very tense under his hand.

     “Do you seriously believe I came here for a set up?” he demanded when he jerked her around to face him. “Do you think I’d really do that? Betray you like that without even talking to you first?”

     “How did you find out?”

       “I know the full story. The story y’all didn’t give to the cops. You, Sheera. You told me everything I needed to know.”

       “I didn’t-”

       “You did, honey. You were complaining about that Kenny Hudson messing with Shane for weeks before he was stabbed in Damien’s club. I saw the news. The report of the Sevens and Hudson’s connection to them and also being found dead at a lake house. After meeting Jared, did you really expect me not to get it?”

       Mere seconds went by and during that time he could see the fear rising in her. She covered her mouth with her hands and her eyes were getting wet and too wide with anxiety and Jake’s phenomenal built up patience finally snapped. He grabbed her shoulders and swiftly pushed her back against the wall, all the while roaring in her face. “JUST SHUT UP FOR ONE SECOND AND FUCKING LISTEN TO ME! FOR ONCE JUST LISTEN!”

     The shouted words traveled throughout the cabin and at the end he slammed his fist into the wall by her head. Sheera reacted with an involuntary shriek of shock and surprise. His face had gotten vicious and she’d never seen his eyes like that. The cabin fell completely silent. Jake immediately spun away and put space between them, cursing under his breath.

     Sheera’s heart was beating so fast. She felt lightheaded. That… what had just happened? That had been explosive anger. The likes of which she hadn’t seen from him before. Frankly before now she wouldn’t have ever imagined him with such a temper and she wondered if that’s why he was so patient and mellow. She wondered if he’d had to work on that. Perhaps he was that way on purpose to push back such a black temper. She’d seen it in his eyes. He was familiar with it. And yes, she’d been initially scared, but now…

     “Sheera? Honey?”

       Her mother’s tentative call from beyond Jake had Sheera shaking the shock off and she turned around. “Everything’s fine. Go back in,” she said to the four who’d crowded out into the hall. Tony, Jared, and Caleb looked ready to intervene and fast at the slightest of signals from her, but Mai stood back with arms crossed over her chest. She had a smug smirk on her face and Sheera had an inkling of an idea as to why that was. “Go back in.”

     Then she turned back to Jake. He was facing her now and her mother was standing at the end of the hall. Jake looked like he always did. No frustrated scowl and burning eyes in sight. No, now he was looking at her with reservation. Waiting no doubt for her reaction to a side to him he’d clearly been hiding. She was shocked and shamed to realize she really didn’t know much about him… at least not as much as he knew about her.

     “Nothing’s wrong, Mom! We’re fighting like always. I’m being a bitch, he’s being a dick. It’s how we work.”

       “Well… alright then. Jake, please try not to shout at my daughter like that again.”

     Still facing her, Jake finally quirked a grin again. Sheera was relieved and so very curious and still frightened of the current situation. “Sorry, ma’am. Won’t happen again.” Sheera rolled her eyes and his grin upped a notched. “Sheera, I need you to stop jumping to conclusions and really listen,” he went on quietly and she let him take her hand when she had moved closer on her own. “Listen to me stubborn bitch.” She managed a shaky smile, but though he was back to his mellow charm, Jake’s eyes were firm; quite serious. “I’m still here, Sheera. I’m not going anywhere and I wouldn’t give a fuck if your friends went out and took care of every low life in the city. After what that guy did to Shane, I’d say he deserved it.”

       The following moments were silent and tense. During this Sheera searched Jake’s eyes for any sign of lie but with a budding sense of elation and disbelief she saw nothing but the truth. She was so relieved- in many aspects- that she could do nothing but stand there and pray the shocked and relieved tears wouldn’t spill over as she felt they were close to doing.

     When he took a step closer, she quickly raised a hand. “Just…just stay there, Jake.”

       Knowing this was one of those times when she meant serious business, Jake did as she asked and stayed put. But this didn’t seem to be enough. He hadn’t thought it would be. Clearly she was upset, very upset and so when she walked off without saying anything else, he wasn’t really surprised.

     Seconds after she rushed passed him back to the main den and her mother, Mai popped out into the hall and followed after. “It’s relief, Jake. She’s relieved,” were her encouraging words as she went by him. She also smiled, but he didn’t really see it. He was more focused on the man who’d followed Mai out of the room and was now standing there with a pistol in hand. Clearly Jared heard him telling Sheera he knew they were responsible for those killings.

       Jared lifted the pistol and waved Jake into the room. “Step inside.”


	28. Episode Twenty-Eight

Jake eyed the pistol. “Planning to shoot me?” he asked because he knew to take this man seriously. And he knew the man before him would do whatever necessary to keep those within the cabin safe and out of trouble. He didn’t need anyone to tell him that. It was obvious.

     “In. Now.”

   Jake cleared his throat. He then did what any sensible person would do. Did what the man with the gun ordered. He went into the room. Tony and Caleb were sitting and watched him as he stepped inside. Tony was frowning at him while Caleb looked unconcerned. Jake suspected Tony was only bothered because he lost his temper with Sheera. He turned back to Jared when the man shut the door. And then they were staring at each other. He could see in the man’s eyes that he was deliberating on what to do with him.    

   “Man, sit down,” Caleb finally said to him, breaking the silence. “You too, Jared. He’s cool.”

     “And you know this for certain?”

     “We all heard what he said upstairs to Sheera,” said Tony. “Personally I believe him.”

     “Which means Rose heard as well,” Jared murmured lowly, not the least bit pleased.

     “She probably figured it out the same way Jake did. It’s for certain Rich knew what we were going to do. And Shrod was hinting to them,” Tony said to him. “Shane’s mom practically confessed to him that Shrod told her.”

     Jared turned back to Jake. “You open your mouth and you’ll be dead an hour later. Understood?”

     “Perfectly,” Jake answered, not really concerned because he had no intention of telling on these guys.

     “For the record, Sheera was not exaggerating,” Jared said as Jake sat next to Caleb. “Your life could be in danger should you remain here. It would be in your best interests to go back home and cease further association with any of us until this is all over.”

     “Thanks for the warning, but I think I’ll stay.”

     “Not a very smart move.”

      Jake leaned back, planted an ankle on the opposite knee and crossed his arms over his chest.

     Jared’s eyes narrowed. “I will not be fucking responsible for you.”

     Jake matched his glare. “I’m not a child and I know how to defend myself, in several ways.”

     The fact was, Jake was a year older than Jared but to him that didn’t make one fucking difference. He was still the experienced one. He was the one who knew exactly what they were all getting into.

     “I don’t suppose you brought any of your firearms?”

     Jake's eyes widened slightly in surprise. “How did you-”

     “He’s got files on all of us,” Caleb cut in. “Nothing about your life is secret from him. He takes his job very seriously.”

     “Did you bring a piece or not?”

     “No. Didn’t think I’d need it.”

     That fact alone had Jared calming down slightly. If Strathom had known what was going on with them before and still came without thinking he needed protection, then he was probably telling the truth about not going to the authorities. “Can you shoot?”

     Jake looked at him wryly. “I’m from the South,” he said slowly as if that explained everything.

     Tony snorted as he pulled out his phone when it indicated he had a message. He saw it was from Shane.

     “Are you going to tell me what’s going on,” Jake asked, “or will I need to pull it out of Sheera?”

       Jared stowed his gun away and sat back down in his original seat. As he and Caleb went on to explain the situation, Tony finally pulled up the message and he saw it was a video. He sat forward and pushed play. At first he didn’t see anything. The picture was in heavy shadow, but he did hear voices and the clinking of silverware upon plates. And then the picture moved and the top of the screen brightened to where he was looking over the edge of a table. He could see hands to the left and fingers from one of those hands were tapping, and across the way he could make out two people sitting at the same table.

       Hands were balled into fists across the table and then the video tilted and now Tony could see Shane and his mom were the ones across from the person holding the phone. Immediately he knew Damien had commandeered Shane’s phone. He wondered why Damien wasn’t using his own phone.

     Shane’s expression was flat all around, but his eyes were stony and it was his hands balled into fists. “No, Mom! I won’t be quiet!” he snapped at her when she leaned over to whisper something into his ear and then he turned his attention back to Shrod. “He should be honest with you! And tell you exactly what you’re getting into! This can’t be for real!”

     “Are you suggesting this is a farce? Why would it be?”

     “I don’t know. But I’m not going to let you hurt my mom. I sure as hell don’t trust you with her!”

     “Shane, honey, I appreciate that, but you really are overreacting. Also I’d like to point out I’m a grown woman and can look out for myself.”

     “You do realize you’re shouting at your employer,” Shrod reminded. Tony could hear he was really only amused by all this. Probably because he’d had years dealing with Damien’s tantrums.

     “I don’t find that quite as important right now, _sir_. How about, do you realize you’re dating an employee’s _mother_!? Have you told her what Jared does for you, huh?”

       “He works for me too.”

     Shane gnashed his teeth together and turned to Daisy when she laughed under her breath. “What is wrong with you?” he snapped at her.

     “Honey, you promised to try. You haven’t tried all night.”

     Shane growled lowly in frustration. He then snatched up his mom’s full wine glass and downed the contents in three gulps.

     “Shane!”

     “This is stupid. Are we gonna eat or what?”

     Behind the camera, Tony could hear Damien snickering and he grinned because Shane was looking so indignant and the fact he was being so bold to Shrod’s face. Damien slowly pushed his wine glass away from him and Shane snatched that up as well and downed it too before anyone could say anything.

     Suddenly the tapping fingers paused and then shot over and hit the phone down. “Son!”

       Damien answered by laughing outright and then the message ended. When Tony sat back with an amused snort, it was to discover Caleb leaning over to watch and Jared standing behind him looking over his shoulder.  

     Jared laughed. “Shane’s the shit.”

     “He’s got some balls,” Caleb put in, “that’s for sure.”

     Everyone had been relieved to see or rather hear Damien acting his normal self. Tony could see it on the spy’s face. “I’m so going to get blamed for the wine drinking,” he muttered. “Since I’m older she thinks I influence him in some ways.”

     Jared shook his head. “Clearly she hasn’t yet caught on to the dynamics of your relationship.”

     Tony grinned and nodded. And then his grin slipped a little and he looked between Caleb and Jared. “I was uh… I’m thinking about proposing.”

     Jared was surprised but Caleb wasn’t. Because Caleb still knew him better than Jared did.

     “Don’t you think he’s too young?” Jake asked curiously.

     “No,” Tony snapped defensively. Jake held up his hands but Jared pierced him with a warning look.

     “You brought it up with us here because you wanted different opinions, Tony.”

     “Yeah, guess I did. Sorry, Jake.” He stood and rubbed the back of his neck. “Anyway, you should probably finish filling Jake in. Give him time to decide if he really wants to get involved or not.”

      He left the room after that, heading for his own room. Just as he opened his door, a hand fell on his shoulder. Caleb grinned at him. “Let me see it.”

     Tony blew out a breath, nodded, and then led Caleb into the room. Caleb slumped into a chair and watched his best friend move over to a dresser. He opened a drawer full of socks. Caleb leaned forward in surprise when Tony rummaged to the bottom and pulled a small grey box out of a pair of socks. The fact that he hid it in a pair of socks instead of keeping it hidden away in his bag told him Tony had been serious about asking, and soon.

     Caleb stood when Tony approached and handed it to him. “That’s what I was saving up for mostly. I’m almost finished with the undergraduate program. I’ll have a full time internship for my Graduate program… I wanna marry him.”

     “Yeah, dude. I know ya do,” Caleb answered, smiling widely when he opened the box and saw what was inside.

     Tony waited until Caleb was looking at him again. They were standing close with the ring between them. “Do _you_ think he’s too young?”

     “Personally I think you know what you want and Shane already knows what he wants regardless of his age, but really only he can answer that.”

     “WHAT THE HELL?”

     The two spun around to find Mai and Sheera standing just inside the door. Both with wide eyes and lips parted in shock. Tony and Caleb were still standing there with Caleb holding the opened box between them.

     “Shit,” he muttered to Tony. “Sorry. Didn’t make sure the door was shut all the way.”

     “Fuck.” Tony was so not ready to talk to Sheera about this. He was pretty sure she would go insane in a bad way.

     Mai arched a brow. “Caleb? Why does it look like you’re proposing to Tony?”

     Caleb cleared his throat and shoved the ring box into Tony’s hands. “It’s his.”

     The women were by their sides in seconds and Sheera grabbed the box out of Tony’s hand. She stared at it for a full minute before looking at Tony who cleared his throat and walked away to the window. Sheera stayed exactly where she was but her eyes remained pinned on Tony. Caleb followed Tony and dropped a hand to his shoulder.

     “Whatever you do,” he whispered so that only the two of them could hear, “could you do me a big ass favor?” Tony looked at him in question. “Wait. Don’t do it here. Don’t do it now. I have plans for this Christmas.”

     Tony grinned widely. “You asshole! You never said anything!”

     “Wanted it to be a surprise. Sides, everyone knows its coming.”

     “Yeah, dude. No problem. We should stock up on the champagne.” Because they both knew Mai was going to say yes. In fact, she had begun to get impatient.

     “You know what? Damien’s going to get pissed to learn he’s the last to know about that,” Caleb said, pointing to the ring box still clutched firmly in Sheera’s claws.

     “It wasn’t my intention to let everyone know now.”

     Caleb and Mai soon took off leaving him with Sheera. He was very concerned because she was just standing there not saying anything. So he started. “You okay?” he asked and sat on the edge of the bed. “With the Strathom thing.”

     She snapped the box closed and crossed her arms. “Yeah. He… I don’t know what to think, Tony. What to do…”

     Tony rolled his eyes. “She. You like the guy a lot so don’t stand there and deny it anymore. And Jake’s staying. Even after knowing what’s coming, he’s staying because of you.”

     “So it’s my fault? I have to cave because he’s such a stupid ass dick?!”

     Tony groaned and dropped to his back. “Why is everyone in your family so stubborn? And no, that’s not what anyone is saying.”

     It was only a few seconds before he heard her move and soon she was straddling him. He pushed up with his hands and arched a brow at her. She hadn’t done this in a while. Seeing her expression, Tony relented and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. She dropped her face against his shoulder.

     “It’s going to be okay, babe,” he murmured. “Don’t do anything you don’t want to do. But that said, in this instance you should really do what you’ve wanted to do. Don’t over think it.”

     Sheera pulled back and held up the ring box. “Like you?”

   “I love him, She. And I know it’s only going to get better.”

   “I can tell by the look on your face that you think I’m going to be against this. I’m not,” she quickly said and laughed at his expression. “We both know Shane. If he were the type of guy to want to date around before settling, he would have been doing that already. He’s not that type of guy. He’s always wanted to settle down, find his own place… He’s found it with you.”

     Tony peered at her curiously. “Did you know about that affair with his teacher?” and then he remembered she hadn’t known Shane was gay until he came to Allmsted. Fuck. Oh well. “That guy messed him up. Shane thought it was more than what it really was. He said he was stupid, but... I guess he was too new at it to know better. And I get the feeling he’d been led along by others like that before moving to Allmsted.”

     “I knew he had a relationship with an older person. He told me that. But he never said it was with a guy, or that it was a fucking teacher.”

       “Do you think he’ll get older and realize I’m not what he wants anymore?”

       “Jesus, you really are insecure about this. Don’t propose if that’s why you’re doing it.”

       Tony scowled at her. “I wouldn’t do something like this for that.”

       “I can already tell you what he would say were you to ask him right now.”

       “He’d say yes.”

       Sheera smiled widely, nodding. “Yeah. We both know how much of a sap he is for you, and like I’ve said a thousand times before, he’s way more mature than others his age.”

       Tony snorted. “Not all the time. You need to see this. Damien sent it.” He pulled out his phone and went on to show her the video. After the first time, she rolled off him and watched it again, laughing.

       “I do love my baby cousin.”

       Tony grabbed the ring box from her and went to stash it away in one of his bags. “Has Jake ever yelled at you like that before?”

     “No. That was new. I think he might have damaged the wall where he punched it beside my head.”

     Tony shook his head. “That was really surprising.”

     “You know what I think is shocking? That this bitch won’t leave Damien alone and now we’re going to have to fight her to keep him sane and safe.”

     “Us as well.”

     “I’m kind of scared, Tony. Marissa’s insane. If Jared’s right, she really will come after us too.”

     “Yeah, but I take comfort in knowing Jared’s with us and he’s going to fucking kill her when he finally finds her.”

     Sheera nodded. “Damien needs to be filled in. Shane too.”

     “We’re going to do it when they get home. Shane… he’s not used to this shit. How do you think he’ll take it?”

   “He’s not a fucking pussy, Tony. He’ll handle it like the rest of us. He’s not going to leave us if that’s what you’re worried about.”      

    

* * *

 

 “Tony!”

     Said man turned to find his boyfriend slumped against the doorframe of the smaller din. Shane had a dopey drunken grin on his face. Jared took one look at him and snorted while Tony shook his head. Damien soon came up behind him, nudged him, and Shane nearly fell onto the floor.

     “How much fucking wine did you give him?” Tony asked as moved to catch his boyfriend before he actually did fall.

       Damien smiled innocently. “Don’t know what you mean. I didn’t give him anything.”

     “He was really nice and kept scooting his glass over to me. Think I had six or sixteen glasses. I dunno, but I feel great. Wine is pretty fucking awesome! Why didn’t you ever say before? We have some here, right?”

       “At least Miss D can’t blame me for this.”

       “She wouldn’t anyway,” Shane murmured against his chest. “She loves you.”

       “How’d it go?” Jared asked Damien, searching his lover’s face for any signs of the recent panic attack. He didn’t see it.

       “At first it didn’t go all that well. Shane ranted for twenty minutes before I took that video, and then you saw what went on… but the wine calmed him down, and then we had a good time.” During this explanation Damien had moved across the room and perched his ass on his lover’s lap. “Daddy handled him really well. In fact I think he likes Shane even more now.”

     “You weren’t supposed to get drunk,” Tony murmured.

     Shane tipped his head back and smiled. “Why? Have plans for me?”

       “You know I do. But we also have to talk. Jared has some things to say. And it’s going to be hard for one of you,” Tony ended, looking at Damien.

     Damien missed this as he was currently being kissed thoroughly by his lover. “Never mind. We’ll do this tomorrow.”

     Shane’s smile faded. “I’m not that drunk to notice something’s really wrong.”

     He decided to fill Shane in, but he took his boyfriend back to their room first. Shane plopped down on the bed on his stomach. Tony took a chair near the window and sat on his hands because honestly Shane was asking for it. He was lounging there in his fine dinner clothes, he smelled fucking fantastic, and he was watching him with those amazing wide blue eyes. And Shane, the ass, knew exactly how he looked right now.

     “Quit it.” A flirty smirk was thrown his way. Tony groaned and tipped his head back to stare at the ceiling. “You need to pay attention, baby boy, because this is important.”

       Shane sat up, cleared his throat, and then nodded; apparently ready for Tony to get on with it. By the time he was done explaining their current situation, Shane was leaning forward with his head in his hands and shaking his head.

     “This is fucked up, Tony.”

     Tony moved to finally sit next to him. “I know.”

     “Poor Damien. Why can’t she just leave him the fuck alone?! Hasn’t he suffered her abuse long enough?”

       Tony had to smile once again at the similarity between Shane and his cousin. “It’s not just about Damien anymore.”

       “We’ll do what we have to do, right? I’m not about to run away and hide. We’re a team. We’ll pull through and get that bitch. She’s not going to get to Damien again.” Shane then dropped to his back and sent that smirk again.

     Tony groaned, threw himself over Shane, and commenced with wrecking that ass like he’d promised.

       

* * *

 

Nothing else odd happened in the next couple of days. The group banded together, determined to enjoy the rest of their vacation despite what was going on. Jared suggested they all act as if nothing unusual was happening. He didn’t want Marissa to know they knew she was fucking with Damien somehow; that she had targeted them and had begun making her moves.

     Damien took it pretty well when Jared finally sat him down and explained what was happening and what would happen. Though the Shrod heir still wouldn’t tell him what the trigger for his panic attacks was. Jared was slowly losing patience with him over that, but he was sure not to let Damien know it. But he also thought Damien’s ease with hearing about Marissa’s revival was a severe front. He figured Damien was going to erupt soon from that. He didn’t react. Not really. He didn’t react one way or another.

     Jake took to putting distance between himself and Sheera, never letting the two of them be alone together. He didn’t make any more attempts to get closer to her or manipulate her and everyone found this odd. Mai and Caleb were as they always were and Shane and Tony were never separated. They would go off on their own a lot of the time. Jared wondered if Tony were actually going to pop the question in the near future.

      “I’m taking you out tonight,” he told Damien when they returned to the lodge after a full day on the slopes that second day. They hadn’t been on a proper date yet and Damien was due.

      “Yeah, alright,” Damien agreed as he stripped out of his snow gear. He hadn’t been wearing his regular gear the last two days either. He’d been dressed like his friends. With baggy pants and an overly large snow jacket. It was a sign not all was well with him. “Where do you want to go?”

     “You don’t have a preference?”

     “No, you choose,” he offered as he disappeared into their en suite.

     Jared watched him shut the door quietly and barely resisted the urge to snarl and fluently curse into the air. That bitch was fucking with his lover and she didn’t even have to be anywhere near him to do it. He shot to his feet and strode to the door, and then began banging on it.  

     “Princess!” he shouted. “Did you hear me the other day? Did you hear me tell you I fucking love you?! You must not have since you haven’t mentioned it even once!” and this ticked him off. It wasn’t like he went around confessing every day. In fact he’d never loved anyone the way he loved Damien. He never told anyone he loved them because he never had. And he wanted some sort of fucking reaction.

     He waited in furious silence, even knowing he wasn’t going to get an answer. He didn’t want that fucking I hate you shit anymore. He wanted to hear the actual words and he wanted Damien to fucking trust him and he wanted to fix this mood his lover had been in for the last two days. It was unnerving and he didn’t like being unnerved.

     The door swung open to reveal Damien’s outraged face. “Bastard! You’re supposed to wine and dine me tonight before getting into that! Don’t you know anything?!”

     He may have looked outraged, but his eyes were wide and bright; there was definite pleasure swimming in them. Jared very nearly laughed in relief, though he managed to maintain a cool exterior. “No, I do not. I’ve never dated for real.”

     He went in for a kiss but Damien shoved him away with a laugh. “Wine and dine!” he shouted before slamming the door in Jared’s face. It wasn’t what he was expecting, but Damien’s reaction was exactly what they both needed.

     After they both had showers and dressed for an evening out, they left the lodge and headed into town using the truck Shrod had rented for his time up there. Jared took Damien to an upscale restaurant, bar, and grill. They first settled down at the bar and as Damien ordered for them, Jared swiveled around to look the place over.

     He turned back and faced his lover. “Didn’t take you long.”

     Damien looked at him in question and Jared smirked when the man next to Damien spoke. “Sounded urgent, mate. Your man looks better up close.”

     Jared took hold of Damien’s chin before the Shrod heir could swivel around to look at Billy, who hadn’t once looked at them.

     “Hot and wild, yeah?” now Billy was looking, but it still didn’t look like they knew each other. Billy just looked as if he were checking out some guy whose partner was right there. “Looks like it.”

     “ _Excuse me_?” Damien hissed.

     “I have two guns on me,” Jared murmured lowly, moving forward to brush his lips against Damien’s cheek, bringing his voice closer to Billy. “I will shoot you.”

       Billy laughed into his drink. “I’ve missed you too.” The man dropped some money onto the bar and quickly disappeared.

       “What was that?”

     “First contact. We’ll see him again soon enough.”

     “But I didn’t even get to see what he looks like.”

       “You will, princess.”

       “I don’t like men checking me out when I can’t see it!”

       Jared rolled his eyes. “He can’t be seen with us in public. That gives the surprise away. We have an advantage if no one knows he’s associated with us.”

       “You mean my mother?”

       They locked eyes and Jared nodded. “We have a few advantages we don’t want her to know about.”

     “Such as?”

    “Me, clearly. She only knows me as a Shrod Executive, yeah? And then there’s Billy, if he decides to get involved. And then we have Mai’s people if they get involved. Her life is on the line and her grandfather isn’t going to sit back and do nothing. And then the others who are in no way afraid to protect themselves and you.”

     “Is he gay? I thought he was just messing around on the phone.”

     “He doesn’t like labels either.”

     Damien stared at the side of his face for a long time. And Jared knew before he spoke what he was going to say. “You two have fucked, haven’t you?”

     Jared cleared his throat and found his drink particularly interesting. “Would you like another drink?”

     “Mine’s still half full, Newton,” he responded flatly. Jared swallowed thickly and turned a fraction, fully prepared to find a one thousand watt glare aimed his way, but instead Damien was grinning and his eyes were bright with humor. Damien laughed. “You look so uncomfortable.” Jared made a face at him, which only had him laughing more. “If you’ve fucked him, he must be hot, right?”

       Jared shrugged, still very uncomfortable. “It was only heat of moments when we were younger. Nothing serious. Stress relief.”

       “I didn’t ask for reasons, Jared… Getting you uncomfortable is the best thing ever! Never managed it before!” Damien was clearly very amused and proud of himself. The smile on his face was a mile wide. It was that carefree childlike smile Jared adored.

     Once done at the bar, they were immediately led to a table. Halfway through dinner, Jared asked, “have I wined and dined you enough?”

     Because he asked it so seriously, Damien nearly choked on his laughter and shook his head. He found Jared’s sincere lack of knowledge in dating adorable. Not that he had much experience in dating either, but he wasn’t about to remind Jared of this. “No, I don’t think so.”

     Jared suddenly reached across the table and captured his wrist in a tight hold. “Damien, I need you to tell me how she’s doing it. You need to trust me on this. No one, not especially me, is going to think you’re crazy.” Damien gave him a disbelieving look. “Okay, not that type of crazy. No one is going to think you’re going insane, sweetheart.”

     For a moment, Jared didn’t think this sudden tactic was going to work. Why would it when he’d broached the subject more softly before and still he didn’t get an answer.

       “It’s her song,” Damien whispered after taking a breath, staring at the table. “I’ve started to hear it everywhere. It’s always the same music. The same she played whenever she would play her games with me. That _Danse Macabre_ shit.”

     “I’m familiar with that piece.” Jared’s grip on his wrist lightened, but he did not release him, instead he began to brush his thumb back and forth over the beating pulse. “You heard it on the phone when you were talking to Boleman,” he guessed.

     “It’s in my head… how could it be on the phone? I think… I am going insane. I hear it in my head, everywhere now. I heard it on slopes, and in the kitchen… even in Sheera’s room. Tabitha thinks we should discuss medications.”

   “You don’t need any fucking drugs. You are not crazy, Damien. She’s doing this. She’s fucking with you. Somehow. Never let her win by keeping it to yourself again!”

   “Alright, bastard! Geez… where’s the fucking sweet talk?” he muttered, snatching his hand back and dropping it to his lap.

     Jared let it go because he knew he was pressing his luck here with Damien’s rather stable mood, and he sneered at the mention of sweet talk, which had Damien back to grinning as was his purpose. But now that he knew what Damien’s trigger was he could find a way to stop it.

     “You think she’ll come after my friends?”

     “It’s best to be prepared.”

     “I hate you sometimes, Newton.”

     Jared grinned. “I know you do, princess.”

 

* * *

 

“Mind if I join?”

     Jake glanced over his shoulder from where he was sitting at the edge of the raised patio out back. Caleb was standing just outside the door, watching him closely. He shook his head that he didn’t mind. Soon Caleb was sitting on the edge beside him and Jake passed him one of the three unopened bottles of beers he had beside him.

     Caleb took the beer, opened it, and took a swig before saying, “there a reason why you’re avoiding people now?”

     “Not avoiding anyone.”

     The black man snorted. “So you lost your temper. Not a big deal. Everyone loses their temper with She sometimes.” When Jake looked at him, he shrugged. “By now you’ve probably already seen… We’re a crazy bunch. It’s actually a relief to see there’s more to you than just that calm patient exterior. What happened? Get in trouble back home with that temper?”

     “Something like that.” Getting the clear signal Jake didn’t want to talk about it, Caleb shrugged again. “She doesn’t seem to mind.”

     Caleb laughed. “You’re confusing her, man. She doesn’t like being confused. It pisses her off.” When Jake opened his mouth to say something, Caleb shook his head. “You can’t leave now. The party’s only getting started.”

     “You call what’s happening a party?”

     “Hell yeah. Things are only going to get more interesting.”

     “Dangerous.”

     “Same thing. We’ll end this bitch and then maybe Damien can get some closure. And dude, aside from all that, you are this close to getting Sheera. No one here wants to see you give up now, especially not Sheera no matter the face she’s trying to put on.”

     “Why’s everyone rooting for me?”

     “We like you. Mai adores you. And my baby…” Caleb tapped his temple. “She’s got supernatural reading people skills.”

     They didn’t speak much after that for a time. Just sat silently drinking their beer. It wasn’t until Caleb asked for another when Jake spoke again. After handing over the second to last beer, he pulled out the gun Jared had shoved into his hands and studied it. “Really think we need these?”

       Caleb shrugged. “Who knows? Hope not. But Jared is used to being paranoid and prepared.”

     “Why?”

     “That’s his business.”

      Jake chuckled. “Got it.”

       Caleb then shivered violently and quickly stood. “Fuck, man! It’s cold! Let’s go back inside. There’s more of these in the fridge anyway. No need to freeze our balls off out here.”

       Jake had the suspicion Mai instructed her boyfriend to drag him back inside any way he could because he was being anti social and it was kind of rude. And if what everyone was saying was true, they all needed to stick together.

     They walked into the den the same time Jared and Damien came through the front door. Caleb was relieved to hear Damien laughing hysterically.

     “What’s so funny?” Mai inquired where she and Sheera were lounging in the main den. The two seemed to be doing their nails.

     “We saw that ass Tyson just now. He took one look at Jared and pissed his pants. I kid you not!” he sobered slightly and looked around while Jared went off to do something. “Where’s the domesticates?”

     “Out again, somewhere,” Sheera answered, shifting so Mai could start on her right hand. She peered at Damien curiously. “Did Tony tell you yet? Show you the piece of bling he got for Shane.”

     “Sheera,” Caleb said in warning.

     She frowned at him as he and Jake came in to sit down. “Tony knew I was going to tell him. He would have told me to keep quiet if he didn’t want me to.”

     “Yeah, guess you’re right.”

     “What are you talking about?” Damien demanded as he sat beside Sheera.

       Sheera looked around. “The grownups still out?”

       “Yep,” Caleb answered.

     “Okay!” she grinned excitedly and turned to the embodiment of impatience. “So Tony bought Shane a ring… an engagement ring.”

       Damien gasped and leaned towards her. “Really?” he breathed.

       “Yes. It’s really nice too. But Shane doesn’t know anything about it, Damien. So we’re not going to go blabbing to him about it.”

       Damien didn’t know what to say to this bit of news. He was actually kind of stunned. It had been so easy to get used to the idea of Shane and Tony instead of just Tony. He had known Tony was serious when he said he was never letting go of Shane. But this was a huge commitment. And though Tony had never had any problems committing, Damien just never thought Tony was ready for _this_. Though now that the idea was thrust under his nose he realized he should have seen it coming. By the look on Caleb’s face, Damien realized he had known it was coming.

     Caleb laughed at the small glare he received.

     “Wow,” he whispered. And then he stood. “I’m going to get changed. Sweetie, can you do mine when you’re done with She’s?”

     “Course, Damien. Same color?”

     Damien eyed the hot red color and wrinkled his nose. “No. Violet. To match the streaks in my hair.”

     “Okay.”

     “Wait!” Sheera called when he made to dash to the stairs. When Damien turned to her, she smirked. “How was your date?” she had the pleasure of seeing him blush.

     “It was really nice,” he answered softly in barely a whisper.

     Mai and Sheera laughed together as he raced away after that. “It’s funny how he never goes into detail anymore,” Mai whispered to her friend, who nodded back.

     “Jared must twist him up inside. In a good way.”

     Jared did twist him up inside. And in a very great way. Damien’s insides were still squirming and they weren’t even together. Jared had hardly touched him yet and he was still feeling this way. He shuddered pleasantly as he made his way to the closet. He grabbed a pair of soft jeans and was reaching for his favorite blue hoodie when he heard it. Soft, barely audible. His hand froze halfway to the article of clothing and then it began to shake uncontrollably.

     The music was coming from the bedroom and it was getting louder. As if someone were approaching the walk-in closet.

     “J-Jared?”

     He didn’t receive an answer, though his voice had been too soft for anyone to hear him. He dropped his hand and the jeans he held and pressed back against the wall in between Jared’s hanging clothes. He squeezed his eyes closed. The music didn’t go away. He pressed his hands against his ears and it only got louder.

     Past memories began to flash before his closed eyes and a pained cry passed his lips. He was too horrified to even remember what Jared had told him; that it wasn’t just in head and he was being toyed with. He raced out of the wardrobe and through the room blindly. It wasn’t any better in the hallway. In fact as soon as he left the room, the music started blaring. So loud it hurt his ears and he felt head was going to explode. No one heard his pained shout as he dropped to his knees with his hands still plastered over his ears.

     Downstairs, unknowing the torture he was going through, the girls were still talking quietly together, while Caleb and Jake talked. No one had seen Jared since he disappeared down the downstairs hall. It was Mai who heard it first. She turned her attention away from Sheera’s nails and looked around, a small frown turning down her mouth. “Do you hear that?”

     Sheera pulled her eyes away from Jake’s stubborn ass. He was doing a bang up job of ignoring her and her ‘what the fuck’ glare. “Hmm, what?”

    “Music. I think I hear music.”

     “Damien probably put something on.”

     “He doesn’t listen to that kind of music.”

     “I don’t hear anything.”

     Just as soon as she said this, the entire lodge was filled with music. It seemed to be coming from everywhere. It surprised Sheera so much she shrieked and accidentally knocked over the nail polish. No one else had time to do anything before Jared came racing into the room with another guy right behind him. A guy none of them had ever seen before.

     “Where’s Damien?” he demanded and then shouted, “DAMIEN?”

     “He’s upstairs!” Mai answered.

     “Who’s that?” Sheera shouted over the music, pointing to the stranger. Jared ignored her and raced up the stairs. Since he seemed to be in a panic, the others quickly followed him.

     Damien was still in the hallway, but now he was curled up on the ground in a fetal position, trying to block out the entire world as he rocked back and forth. And even though they couldn’t hear it over the music, they could see he was having trouble breathing and was in the throes of another major panic attack.

     “Go unlock the bus!” Jared shouted over his shoulder even as he knelt down next to his lover.

     Caleb took it upon himself to do it since he knew the girls weren’t about to budge from Damien’s side. He pulled on Jake’s sleeve as he passed him and they both went down to grab the keys and then sprinted to the RV. Jared didn’t waste time or breath trying to get through to Damien over this noise. Truthfully, the fact that he could now hear the music and the fact it was coming from everywhere was unnerving him. His main focus was getting Damien away from it.

     “Back up!” he snapped at Sheera and Mai.

      Sheera took exception to this but Mai grabbed her hand and shook her head. She understood Jared was panicking too. He was panicked, but he also knew what needed to be done, whereas they had no clue what was going on or how to fix whatever was happening. Damien was in a cathartic state like this and if they didn’t get his breathing under control soon he was going to pass out. She gestured to the guy who had been with Jared and who had followed them up, and that was enough distraction. Sheera settled for glaring at him. The guy had wandered away down the hall and had his ear pressed against a section of the wall.

     Jared slipped his arms around Damien and hoisted him up, silently willing Damien to keep breathing because the panic attack was keeping his breath lodged in his chest. Ignoring the girls and Billy, he hurried back down the stairs with Damien and out of the lodge into the mostly blessed silence. Caleb and Jake were standing beside the opened door of the bus. Jared took Damien inside and immediately headed to the back to lay him on the bed. He let Damien curl back into the fetal position, knowing it gave Damien a small amount of comfort.

       He looked over his shoulder, saw Caleb had followed him inside. “Plug in some music. Make it loud and noisy. Something he likes.” Caleb nodded and pulled out his phone, heading to the front. Jared turned back to Damien, grabbed his chin, and forced Damien’s face up from under his arms. “Breathe, princess. Damien! You need to calm down and breathe. It’s over.”

     Damien still wasn’t hearing him. Still trapped in his mind. In the waking nightmares. He couldn’t even open his eyes. “Caleb, hurry up!”

       “Fuck, man! It’s coming!”

       Several seconds later the vehicle filled with the sounds of a heavy guitar and the fast beat of drums. It was going to give him a headache but it would do well to drown out the music stuck in Damien’s head. When Caleb came back, Jared told him to sit with Damien. By the time he got back in the lodge, the music had gone.

     “Pack up!” he ordered Mai and Sheera. “We’re changing locations. Call Tony and Shane and get them back here now!”

     “Jared! That guy is tearing up the walls!” Sheera announced as she followed him through the lodge and back up the stairs. “Where the hell did he come from?”

       “Knew we shouldn’t have come here,” he muttered. “How long did she have to plan this? A whole fucking year! A entire year to plan on how to drive him insane!”

       “Look at this, boyo,” Billy said the moment Jared came to stop beside him. He gestured inside the gaping hole he’d made. He had an axe perched on his shoulder. “I’d wager there’s speakers planted in the walls everywhere. We might have some nasty bugs in here as well.”

       Jared muttered an expletive and stepped away, pulling his own phone out to call Shrod. Once that was done, he went back to the RV.

     “I think its working!” Caleb shouted over the music. Jared stopped beside the bed and was relieved to see Damien’s eyes were open now and his breathing a little less erratic.

     “Go and help pack. We need to move. Shane and Tony should be back any moment. Fill them in.” Caleb nodded and took off with Jake. Jared climbed into bed and dragged Damien’s stiff body against his, planting Damien’s back against his chest. “This music is crap,” he muttered into Damien’s ear. “How can you stand it?”

     “I-it’s n-not!” Damien gasped out and Jared grinned into his hair.

     By the time Shrod returned, Damien had relaxed even more and had even turned around to snuggle into Jared, whining when Jared’s tight hold on him relaxed for even a second.

       “I fucking told you it was a bad idea to come here!” Jared snapped at his boss when he’d come into the motor home and turned down the music.

       “Jared,” Shrod warned.

       Jared sneered and dropped his face back to hide against the side of Damien’s head. “I did tell him,” he muttered.

      When Damien snickered quietly, Jared couldn’t explain how relieved he felt at the moment. He had been afraid this incident would have put Damien out for days, maybe even weeks. But again Damien was older now and he had a lot more support than he had years ago.

     “Damien? How are you?”

     “H-how do you think I am, Daddy? She’s still fucking with me. Trying to make me think I’m even crazier… I’m going to kill that monster. I’m going to shove my knife into her fucking head and pop her fucking eyes out from the inside.”    

     Some people would have thought that response shouldn’t be entitled the relieved sigh coming from Shrod’s lips, but this was Damien they were talking about and that response was perfectly normal for him.

     “Damien, honey? Would you like me to go to the main lodge and have them ready another cabin for us? I believe there are two vacant at the moment.”

     Both Jared and Damien’s heads popped up and they watched completely shocked and in awe as Shrod’s cheeks took on a decidedly pink hue. The elder Shrod cleared his throat and turned to the front where Daisy was standing. “If you wouldn’t mind.”

     “Of course not. I’ll also have the security team do a _proper_ sweep of the lodge first. They have things for that, don’t they?”

     Daisy was gone a moment later and Shrod refused to turn back to the couple on the bed. “She’s the best assistant I’ve ever had.”

   “What? Daddy?! You can’t turn Miss D into your Assistant!! Aside from the fact that’s just wrong- _she’s your girlfriend!-_ what about Nancy?”

     “Not that it is any of your business, but Nancy is ready to retire. And Daisy takes it upon herself to do things as she has experience with that sort of work. I’ve never once asked her. She likes keeping busy now that Shane is off at college and spends most of his time with Tony. And the term girlfriend is very juvenile, son.”

     Shrod left before anything else could be said. Damien laughed. “Did you see how uncomfortable he was? That’s great too! Two in one night. That must be a record!”

     “I need to go back inside and talk with Billy about where to go from here,” Jared told him quietly. “I’ll send Shane out.”

       “I want to meet him too.”

       “You don’t want him seeing you like this, do you?”

       “Well… no. Okay.”

       The moment Jared pulled away and climbed from the bed, Damien shifted and burrowed under the covers, leaving only the top of his black and violet head sticking out. As he turned away, Jared heard a muffled, “I love you too, bastard.” His day was remade.

     The moment he was in the lodge again, Caleb was in his face. “Who is this guy? He hasn’t said a damn word but he’s a genius with wiring and electronics! He has this bag full of cool devices, man!”

       “It’s pretty obvious now,” Sheera called from the kitchen where she was standing with Jake, who was putting a glass of wine in her shaking outstretched hand. Apparently they made up. “He’s a spy too.”

     “Where’s your bag of cool spy tools?” Caleb wanted to know.

     “A spy?” said Jake. “I was only kidding when I was thinking James Bond.”

      Sheera laughed at that. “That’s spot on, dick!”

       Billy came into the room and arched a surprised brow at him. Jared shrugged. “They like to romanticize about it.”

     “There’s nothing romantic about shooting guys in the head,” Caleb murmured.

     “True.”

       “Ah. These blokes were your backup for the gang takeout.”

       Caleb opened his mouth, but Jared said it before he could. “Partners more like.”

       “Well, this changes things!” Billy then went to introduce himself, starting with Caleb and shaking his hand. “Nice ta meet ya! I’m Billy. The hot Asian bird is yours, yeah? Mai. Nice arse for an Asian.”

     “Billy! Jesus Christ!”

     Billy grinned hugely. “It’s true, mate.”

     “Do you see the size of him compared to you?” Jared indicated Caleb’s height. That along with the narrowed dangerous look in the black man’s eyes would have intimidated most people, but of course Billy just laughed it off.

     “Don’t make no difference, Dec. And you know it.”

     “Don’t be rude.”

     “There you go again, being disgusting; all proper, uptight, and _British_ -” Billy sprinted away laughing as Jared had pulled a gun and taken a quick five steps after him in clear hostility. Billy figured he’d introduce himself to the others when he next saw them. He had some more digging to do.

 

* * *

 

 It was not unusual for Tony and Shane to go off alone. Usually they took off after everyone was done skiing and would go for walks because Shane couldn’t get enough of the snow and the scenery. Tony enjoyed these walks because Shane’s inexperience with the place made everything seem new to him again.

     After finding out their lodge had been tampered with and that she’d only been amusing herself by driving Damien crazy by playing that music, it was assumed Marissa would stop and regroup. And maybe everyone was hoping she would leave it at that. That she wouldn’t actually get physical with any of them. They thought this because they had only found speakers and nothing in regards to listening devices, which Jared thought was a miracle. And because of that it was easy to believe Marissa was only fucking with them, with Damien.

     Tony and Shane had been walking through the forest for about an hour, on their way back to their new lodge. They stopped in a small clearing because Shane had lain down in the snow to make a snow angel.

     “Really?” Tony questioned with a brow raised.

     “It’s fun. When was the last time you made a snow angel?”

     “Uh… try never.”

     “Asshole. Get down here and make one with me.”

     “Maybe we could make it look like the angels are fucking.”

     Shane laughed. “Is nothing safe from your perverseness?”

     “You know better.” Tony looked around, eyeing the white glare of the snow and the naked trees around them. They were very much alone.

       “Dude, no one is around. Come down here,” Shane demanded.

       Tony rolled his eyes. He lifted the hood of his coat over his hair and then dropped down to lay an arm’s length away from his ass of a boyfriend.

     “See? It’s not so bad,” Shane said when Tony began to move his arms and legs.

     “I feel ridiculous, brat.”

     “Then stop being so uptight about it.”

     “You wanna get married, Shane?”

     Shane went absolutely still for half a minute before resuming his snow angel making actions. “Where did that come from?”

       Tony feigned a nonchalant shrug. “Just making light talk.”

       Shane laughed. “That’s not light… unless you were just joking.”

       Tony couldn’t decipher Shane’s tone, which was frustrating. “Sure it is. Just asking if you ever planned to get married.”

     “That’s not what you said.” Shane turned on his side to face Tony. “What are you doing?”

     Tony grit his teeth. He hadn’t meant to do it, and he wasn’t some stupid bitch, but he seriously needed to know. “You gonna grow up and move on?”

     Shane blinked, clearly surprised. “Hell no, asshole! You’re stuck with me. And what do you mean grow up? You calling me a fucking kid again?”

     Tony laughed. But when he didn’t say anything else, Shane squinted at him in suspicion. Tony then went on to ignore his boyfriend’s half glare and went back to making a stupid snow angel. “You’re giving your angel a tit,” he muttered after a moment.

     Shane shifted, lifting the elbow he’d had pressed in the snow to keep his torso up. He looked down and snickered, because yeah, his elbow had been pressed on one side of the angel’s ‘chest’ and it now had a tit. Shane decided to leave it and stood to go to a clean spot and start over again. He trekked around Tony and just before dropping down to his other side he noticed they were no longer the only ones around.

     “Tony!” he hissed, paling. A man was standing only twenty feet away and had a gun pointed straight at him. He couldn’t believe the man had been able to sneak up on them and get that close without either of them having noticed his approach.

     Tony jumped to his feet, but he didn’t immediately do anything else because again, there was a gun aimed directly at Shane’s chest. “What do you want?”

     The stranger began walking closer until he was only about ten feet away. “You, put your hands behind your head,” the man said with a heavy Middle Eastern accent, indicating Tony and then he gestured to Shane. “And you, over here. We’re going for a ride.”

     Tony lifted his hands and put them behind his head but he also slowly stepped to stand in front of Shane. “Over my dead body are you taking him anywhere.”

     The man smirked. “In a hurry to die? Fine by me. Those were my orders anyway. Kill you and take him.”

     Tony felt a hand on his back, clutching his coat. Shane’s hand was shaking. He wanted to say it was going to be okay, but he couldn’t. He didn’t know how this was going to end. But he did know this guy would have to kill him if he wanted to get to Shane.

     “On your knees, asshole.”

     “He knows you, huh?”

     Despite the situation and Shane’s shaky voice, Tony snorted. “Smart ass.”

     “Oh god, Tony.”

     “Baby, calm down,” he whispered, “and look where your hand is.” Shane hadn’t let go of his clothes and as he slowly knelt his coat raised past his belt. Shane pulled in a sharp breath.

     “I got it,” he breathed a very short time later and Tony dropped quickly to his knees.

     Five quick gunshots rang out over his head. Shane stood there, both arms up and hands clutching the gun, just like Jared had taught him. He was shaking but three out of five bullets had hit target.

     Tony quickly climbed to his feet and twisted around, grabbing Shane, hugging him for his own reassurances and taking the gun from his boyfriend’s shaking hands.

     “He was going to kill you,” Shane whispered. “Shit! He was really going to kill you!”

     “You did good. Shane, look at me,” he ordered when Shane couldn’t seem to pull his off of the dead guy ten feet away. “You did good, okay? There was nothing else you could have done. It was him or us.”

     Shane nodded. “What do we do now? Should we call the police?”

     “Call Jared first,” Tony told him as he slowly approached the body, gun raised in case the guy really wasn’t dead. But upon closer inspection, he saw Shane shot him once in the stomach and twice in the chest. “Damn, baby. Where’d you learn to shoot?”

     “He was going to fucking kill you!—uh, Jared. Yeah. We’re okay. H-he was…Tony was going to get s-shot!”

     It was completely understandable Shane sounded hysterical. Tony kicked the gun away from the body and jogged back to his boyfriend and took the phone out of his shaking hands. “Should we call the cops?”

     _“Wait for me. I heard the shots. I’m almost there.”_

     And he was. Jared appeared five minutes later. Sprinting through the forest with Damien, Caleb, and Jake right behind him. The moment Jared saw he and Shane really were okay, he turned and headed straight for the body. “Caleb, Strathom!”

     Caleb and Jake aborted their trek to Shane and Tony and went to join Jared, who had taken to rifling through the shooter’s pockets and clothes.

     “Start digging.” The moment he had the guy’s wallet, Jared started digging in the blood soaked snow beside the body and Caleb and Jake quickly did as they was told. “We don’t want him found till spring, if at all. So let’s make it deep. Don’t want the animals to get him either.”

       Damien had run straight to Shane and Tony and knocked the younger boy down to the ground, hugging the shit out of him.

       “We’re okay, Damien,” whispered Shane into his ear, but he did hug Damien back. “I shot that asshole.”

       Damien popped up and stared at him with wide eyes. “You?”

     “Hell yes I did,” he replied in a hard voice. “I’d do it again too.”

     “Get over here! Help!” Jared barked.

     Clearly he was working with a sense of urgency. They didn’t question him and simply did as he said and soon a deep grave was made. Jared stood, pulled out his phone, and snapped a picture of the guy’s face before he helped roll the guy into the pit. Shane stood, scowled at him, and kicked the body in the side to help get him in.

     “Mother fucker!”

     Damien laughed. Jared looked at him as they all started shoving clean snow over the grave. “You did good.”

     He smirked. “I know.”

     Jared grabbed the dead guy’s gun and handed it to Shane. “Keep it.”

     Shane took it and hid it inside his jacket. “Why aren’t we calling the cops again?”

     “We don’t want them involved right now. The police would only get in the way at this point and they wouldn’t be able to help with this. Marissa is insane, but she’s also terribly intelligent. And to be honest, I don’t trust anyone with a badge.”

     “Talking from experience?” Tony asked.

     “Yes.”

     “Look, hey. Can we not tell my mom about this? She’d flip.”

    Tony and Jake snorted and Caleb laughed outright. Jared smiled to himself as he moved to cover the bloodied snow with untouched snow. He didn’t have to worry about Shane anymore. He’d been afraid Shane wouldn’t know how to deal with all this. Shane was the most sheltered out of all of them, but apparently that was gone and he had no problems doing what needed to be done. His hand hadn’t even been shaking when he took the gun. The initial shock was over and now he was determined. What kind of bad ass would this kid turn out to be? Jared was looking forward to finding this out about all of them.


	29. Episode Twenty-Nine

“It’s confirmed.” Jared slapped a paper onto the kitchen table. “She is not fucking around.”

     Those around the table leaned in to see the paper. On it was a picture of a man’s face and a long list of information under that. It was the man who had apparently been sent to kill Tony and abduct Shane for whatever reason.

     “On a brighter note, Shane took out a tough fucker. Bet he never saw you coming.”

     Shane pulled the paper to him and let his eyes skim the information. With each word read, his eyes widened. Jared went on to explain the information to the others while he read.

     “He’s wanted all over Europe. Mainly known as a contract killer. Also known terrorist. He was nasty. No one was safe from him. Not even children. The world’s not going to miss him.”

     “Nice one, cutie!”

     “He was gonna kill Tony.”

     “Never mind that,” Tony murmured lowly, taking the paper from him. “I want to know where and why he was ordered to take Shane. Why would she do that, Jared?”

     “I don’t know yet.”

     “You know what?” began Mai. “I’m getting really sick and tired of not being around when something bad happens!”

     Jared looked at her in surprise. He had been expecting this. But he expected Sheera to be the one to voice it.

     “Someone should have called us the moment it happened!” Sheera snapped. “All the while we were sitting here twiddling our goddamn thumbs! What the hell?!”

     That was more like it. Ever since the music thing he had seen both girls’ rising anger and frustration. Shrod was right. They definitely would not put up with being kept out of anything.

     “Are we staying or what?” Caleb asked.

     “No point in leaving now,” Sheera said. “We’ll have to watch our backs wherever we are anyway.”

     “I will not give that _bitch_ the satisfaction of seeing us run away,” Damien hissed. “She’s not going to ruin our awesome Christmas! This one’s turning out to be the best one yet despite everything that’s going on.”

     “Fuck her!” Caleb agreed, backed with a firm nod from Mai.

     “What about you two?” Jared asked Tony and Shane.

     The two shared a short look before Tony said, “we’re not going anywhere.”

     Seven heads swiveled around in Jake’s direction. He shook his head in amusement. “I think y’all know my answer.”

     “Great! Okay!” Caleb exclaimed jumping to his feet. “Uh… Can we… um, ya’ll need to go out somewhere…”

     “Where?” asked Mai.

     “What for?” Sheera wanted to know.

   Caleb turned to Damien and Tony, a plead in his eyes. Tony laughed and stood too. “We need to go out and buy some stuff for dinner tomorrow. Can you two go get the groceries?” he asked Mai and Sheera. “Caleb and I are getting the booze.”

     Sheera nodded. “Make sure you load up, Tony. We ran out last time.”

     “And we’re going to hang at Macaroons this evening for dinner,” Damien announced, staring hard at Sheera, silently asking her to go along with it now and demand answers later. After a moment she dipped her chin in silent agreement.

     Soon everyone was leaving the kitchen and Shane quickly snagged Damien before he left. “Um… I gotta do something. Will you go with me?”

     “Sure, cutie. What is it?”

     “Know any place around here I can get my hair cut?”

    Damien raised his brows in surprise, but then he nodded. “There’s a place I go sometimes. They’re really good. We can go now if you want. Jake and Tony will be good by themselves. I think Jared’s gone off to talk spy with his buddy.”

     Shane smiled in relief. “Thanks.”

     “Shane. Please tell me you’re okay. About what happened.”

     “I… I guess I’m okay. But… no, I’m okay,” he said firmly. “I’d do anything to protect Tony and that’s what I did. I’ll do it again a thousand times if I have to. He’s my life, Damien. You all are. I don’t feel any kind of guilt. I just feel kind of different.”

     “Older?”

     “Yeah. Weird, huh?”

     “Not really.”

     Damien smiled in relief and slung his arm around the younger man’s shoulders. Cause that’s what he was now. A young man. After what happened, he couldn’t be considered a kid any longer.

   “Let’s get dressed up before going. We’ll go straight to Macaroons after.”

    They left shortly after, borrowing one of Shrod’s rented trucks to drive into town. Damien explained to Tony that he wanted to spend some time alone with Shane. He insinuated they were going to be speaking about their parents most of the time so of course Tony didn’t put up any objections.

    “What do you think of the Jake Sheera situation?” Shane asked.

    Damien snorted. “He’s got her. It was that temper. Tony told me about it. He showed her a dark side and she was hooked.”

    Shane laughed. “This group is weird. Sheera said the same thing about Caleb and Mai. Speaking of, is that why we’re all going out tonight? Something to do with Caleb?”

     “Caught that, did you?”

     “Yeah.”

     “I expect to see a new ring on Mai’s finger by the time we get back tonight,” Damien replied with a wide smile. One in which Shane returned.

     “Awesome!”

     When they pulled up to the curve on Main St next to an old looking barber shop, Shane turned to Damien in surprise. The Shrod heir smirked. “Not what you expected?”

     “Not at all!”

     Damien shrugged. “It’s sleek inside.”

     “Damien, I don’t want to get it just cut. I want it a certain way.”

     The manly squeal which came from Damien as he jumped from the truck made Shane laugh. “You want it styled! I’m so proud! But trust me, they’re good here.”

     As Shane stepped onto the sidewalk, he noticed three guys climbing from a dark SUV a little way down the road. “Are those your guys?”

     Damien turned to him and then over to where Shane gestured. “Oh. Yeah. Those are ours. They’re here for you too cutie. They’ll stick around the shop but they won’t come inside unless trouble shows up.”

     The inside was and wasn’t what Shane was expecting. It was comfy, but also sleek. It was modern looking and clearly tailored to both the locals and the tourists who liked to dish over money left right and center. There were a dozen chairs and only three customers so they were immediately approached by a nice looking lady. She looked about the same age as his mom.

     “Hey there! My name’s Cindy. You here for a cut?”

     “He is,” Damien said, gesturing to Shane, who just smiled. “He’s looking for a stylish cut.”

     “Well come and follow me. I’m free.” Shane followed the lady to one of the chairs near the center of the shop. He removed the slightly expensive but totally awesome designer coat Damien had bought him and handed it to his friend before sitting down. Now that he was about to do this, he was severely nervous.

     “Boy, you’ve got the prettiest hair!” Cindy declared while digging her fingers into his dark blond hair. “You sure you want it cut?”

     “Yeah. I want it all cut.”

     “Hmm.”

     “I mean, I… I’ve had this hair for a while. I’m not in high school anymore, so…” Shane looked to Damien who sat in the empty chair across from him. Damien leaned forward, studying his face; immediately knowing what Shane wanted, what he was thinking, why he was doing this.

     “Hun, cut the sides and the back. The crown too, but not so much that his significant other won’t be able to run fingers through it; or grip, pull, and yank like I know they like to.”

     “Damien!”

     Damien smirked. “Also keep some bangs. He’ll want to be able to style it differently on occasion. We’re looking for hot and mature here. Also he doesn’t like to use a lot of gel, so something where he can go natural most times.”

     Cindy smiled at the young guy’s cute blush. “Got it. And don’t you worry,” she said to Shane. “You’ll leave here looking like a million bucks. Your boyfriend will love it too.”

     Damien snickered at the astonished look on Shane’s face.

     “How did you even-”    

     Cindy waved that away as she gestured him out of the chair and to hair wash area. “Oh please, honey. I’m a stylist. I get every type in here. I’m good at reading people.”

     Damien leaned back in his chair after picking up a magazine to hide behind. Once Shane came back from the wash and the cutting was underway, every so often he peeked over just to make sure Shane’s hair wasn’t being butchered, but he never looked for too long because he wanted to be surprised with the end result.

     “You didn’t tell Tony about this, did you?” he asked from behind his magazine.

     “I… No. Was too nervous.”

     Damien snickered. “It won’t matter, Shane. As long as he can still pull, you’ll be good.”

    “Quit it!”

     Cindy laughed. “Are you two brothers?”

     Both sobered slightly. “What makes you say that?” Damien asked softly.

     “Not the looks really, though I can tell you’re dyed,” she replied, smiling at him. “I’d also say you’re great friends, but there’s just something that tells me you’re related. The way you act…”

     “We’re not related,” Shane said after a moment.

     “I wish he were my little brother,” Damien announced once back behind the magazine. He missed Shane’s wide smile at this declaration.

     “Okay, you gorgeous thing,” Cindy declared fifteen minutes later. “You’re done. Have a look.” And she swung Shane’s chair around so that he was facing the mirror.

     “Oh my God, wow! I look awesome!”

     “You like?”

     “Hell yeah! Damien, what do you think?” he spun around to face Damien, who had stood and was studying the back of his head.

     So far so good. She’d given Shane basically a sports cut. Longish strands all gone and off his neck. When Shane faced him, his eyes went wide. He was certainly surprised. No hair obscured any part of his face anymore. Without that longish hair, Shane’s face seemed to have thinned out a little. At least… he had less of a baby face now. His eyes stood out more as well. The crown of his head was still thick and sort of spiky.

     “Is it what I want?”

     Damien mock pouted. “You do look more mature.” And Tony was going to go nuts. He grinned evilly at this thought. He couldn’t wait to see it.

     “Want something done, honey?” Cindy asked him.

     Damien thought about it and then nodded. “Just a trim, thanks.” As he and Shane switched positions, he winked at the blond. “You look great, cutie. Nice choice.”

     Shane smiled in relief.   

* * *

 “Daisy, do you know what you’re doing?”

     Daisy turned away from the window and from watching the man pacing outside the kitchen window as he conducted some business over the phone. She turned to find her sister watching her and smiled. “Not really. But I knew what I was doing with Roy and look how that turned out.”

     Rose smiled back. “Good answer.”

     “I’m surprised you haven’t tried to talk me out of this yet. Damien Shrod…” she turned back to the window and tisked. “Does the man never stop working?”

     Rose then snorted. “No. And honey, I have no intention of trying to talk you out of this. Damien needs a woman like you. He needs a distraction, because like you said, he never stops working. Being who he is… it has to be a twenty-four hour job. I told Shane when you were about to go out on your first date with Shrod, I told him you could use some fun. Damien Shrod most definitely could use some.”

    “I don’t want to be just a distraction,” Daisy whispered.

    “You still don’t know him that well, do you? Damien never would have brought you here if that’s all he considered you to be. I promise, Daisy. This place, this time… it’s reserved for family. So I’m thinking he’s shouting loud and clear to you.”

     Rose had the pleasure of seeing her baby sister blush as her eyes went back to the man outside the window. To the man who looked to be becoming increasingly annoyed.

     “Sometimes it’s still strange, him being who he is… He doesn’t act like a billionaire.”

     “That’s because he wasn’t born one. He was born into a penniless family and he will never forget that,” Rose answered.

     “When we’re alone together… he’s a completely different person. He’s so down to earth.”

     “That’s another loud and clear shout, honey. Have you, uh…”

     Daisy sighed. “No. It’s like…” she frowned a little. “It’s like he doesn’t even want or need that.”

     Rose snorted. “Yeah, right. Look at him, Daisy. A man in his prime. Anyway, this might stem back to his ex wife. Damien really hasn’t been seen since then with another woman. Though he does keep his personal life severely private. That woman tricked him so bad,” Rose whispered. “Had him completely fooled. And Damien… she hurt his son right under his nose the whole time. I don’t think he’ll ever get over that.” Rose turned back to the counter to pick up the chopping knife. “But to be honest. Daisy, I think it’s about you. He asked me here to make you more comfortable. He doesn’t want to rush you. So if you’re ready, if you want… you’re going to have to give that signal.”

     Daisy returned to her sister’s side to help with prepping the food Caleb was going to be using for the dinner he planned to make for Mai. She smiled. “Will she say yes?”

     Rose laughed. “Most definitely. She’s been impatient!”

     “They’re a cute couple.”

     “They are, yes.” Rose glanced at her sideways. “Daisy… I’ve known Tony for a long time. Practically helped raise him.”

     “Yes?”

      “He loves Shane something awful.”

     Daisy smiled. “Yes, I have seen that.”

     “He’s known to grab on to what he wants and not let go…”

     “You’re trying to tell me something.”

     “Just think you might want to get used to the idea… prepare.”

     Daisy stopped chopping vegetables and spun around to face her sister directly, eyes widening. “You’re not saying…”

     “Yes. Like I said. I know that boy. And he’s at a place right now where that’s the next step for him in his life. He’s not going to want to let Shane get away.”

     “Well God, Rose!” exclaimed Daisy just as the kitchen door opened and Shrod finally came back in. “Why not give me a heart attack?! He’s just a baby!”

     “He’s not a baby anymore. Hasn’t been for a while.” She smiled and tapped her head. “Shane’s had a good head on his shoulders all his life.”

     “This is insane,” Daisy muttered. “He’s only eighteen.”

     “He’ll be nineteen soon and how old was I when I married Richard?”

     Daisy tipped her face up to the ceiling and groaned. “Urghh!”

     Rose snickered. “At least it won’t be because he’s pregnant.”

     Daisy’s eyes snapped back to her sister. The look in her eyes was funny. Incredulous. But then she nodded, broke down and started laughing and Rose joined in. They folded in on themselves laughing.

     Shrod quietly took a seat at the table and just watched them. He liked watching them. Rose seemed younger with her sister around and they both seemed a lot happier, more carefree. They had a good sibling bond. Very tight. And probably the reason why Shane and Sheera had been encouraged by their parents to keep in contact over the years despite age difference and location.

    Daisy then sobered slightly. “The only thing I regret… no grandchildren. I wanted grandbabies.”

     “Well if Sheera would ever stop being so tight assed about men, we could share.”

     Shrod smirked at their backs. “Shane and Tony can adopt or there can be a surrogate.”

    The two spun around, looking at him with wide eyes. “When did you come back in?” Daisy demanded.

     The easy smile thrown her way was an indication that he had probably heard more than she would be comfortable with.

     Caleb came bounding in, staying anything Daisy might have replied with. The tall young man was smiling excitedly and went straight up to the sisters, draping arms over their shoulders and leaning forward to see what they were doing.

     “You two fine ladies are awesome!”

     Rose smiled. “Yes we know.”

     “Thanks for helping me out.”

     “We’re glad to,” Daisy replied. “Are you all ready?”

     “Definitely! Been ready for… forever! Ha ha!” he spun around, jogged across the kitchen and bent himself over to enfold Damien in a big hug. The man snorted.

     “Get off me you tall twig.”

     Caleb grinned. “Your skills are mad,” he said, grinning over at Rose and Daisy.

     Shrod snorted again. “Idiot.”

     “Caleb? Do you have the ring? Can we see it?” Rose inquired.

     Caleb immediately reached into his pocket, withdrew a small jade green box, and lightly tossed it to her. While they converged close together to peer at the ring, which was diamond and opal, and went on to coo and gush, Shrod turned to Caleb after he sat down next to him.

     “Did you speak to her grandfather?”

     Caleb nodded. “Video called him two weeks ago. It was intense, but… he gave his blessings.” The young man blew out a breath. “I didn’t think he would. You know, being tradition involved and him being who he is and who Mai is in relation…”

     “You should thank God Mai has an older brother, otherwise you would have been screwed.”

     “I know. Mai’s brother hates me. Doesn’t think I’m good enough. Sucks, man. I think he’s cool. Strong, ya know. A bad ass. He’s freaking smart too. He’s like… he’s like the Japanese version of Jared!”

     Shrod dropped a hand to the young man’s shoulder. “Not so smart if he can’t see the kind of good person you are. He’ll get over it.”

     “Maybe.”

     “He hasn’t spent enough time with you. That will change soon enough, I think,” Shrod muttered to himself.

     Caleb nodded though Shrod knew he hadn’t really caught on to what he was implying. “We were planning on going to Japan to visit this summer. Whenever we talked about marriage, we talked about maybe planning on having the wedding there, finding some way to pay for everyone’s flights and accommodations… you wouldn’t want to help out with that would you, Mr. Billionaire?” he asked sweetly batting his eyelashes.

     “Since both your fathers have passed on already, I think I would be honored,” Shrod answered.

     Caleb gasped and shot to his feet, staring down at him. “Really, I was just… I was just joking, Shrod! I wasn’t trying—seriously?!”

     Shrod stood also. “Yes. Seriously.”

   Caleb started blinking rapidly. “Um…” he coughed then and then lunged forward to hug Shrod again, this time tightly. Shrod laughed, returning the embrace and patting the shocked young man’s back. When Caleb pulled away he was still blinking rapidly. “I-I think…” sounded like something was stuck in his throat. “I think I hear my phone ringing.” He quickly vacated the kitchen, walking off as if numb.

     Daisy turned her back on her sister, walked across the kitchen, grabbed Damien’s face, and kissed him soundly. Nothing too intimate, just a firm pressing of lips. She couldn’t help it. This man was amazing.

* * *

 “So… you gonna make a move or what?” Tony demanded of the man sitting next to him at a high round table in the bar area. “Or have we kind of scared you off?”

     Jake shook his head in amusement as his eyes studied the surroundings of the semi formal restaurant which was full of happy tourists socializing on a festive Christmas Eve. “I’m telling you it takes a lot to scare me.”

     Tony frowned in annoyance as he pulled his phone out. Jake was purposely avoiding the main issue. **Baby boy. Your fine ass better be here soon** , he texted and then sent it off. “Jake, man… you’re killing us. She’s been so strung out over this thing, it’s affecting us all!”

     Jake laughed out loud at this and nodded. He could see that happening. “I’m not sure this is the right time or place for anything to happen. Not for me and Sheera.”

     “What? Are you kidding me?” When his phone vibrated in his hand, he looked at it for Shane’s response. **Ha Ha. Miss you too. Just pulling up.** Tony grinned. “It’s the perfect time and place! A winter holiday! Snow all around. What more could you want?”

     “Less nosy people, maybe,” Jake replied with a grin.

     Jared reappeared then, setting three frosty mugs of beer on the table as well as three wine glasses and a chilled bottle of wine. “Leave off him, Tony,” he said as he took the opened stool next to the brunet.

     “Is your friend going to pretend to not know us the entire time?” Tony asked, subtly gesturing off to the other side of the room where Billy had taken a lone seat at a table and seemed to be enjoying a meal solo.

     “That’s the way it works.”

     “Sucks. It’s Christmas Eve.”

     “He’s Pagan.”

     “So? Yule then.”

     Jared grinned at Tony, nodding.

      Jake gestured to the wine and three glasses. “What’s with that?”   

   “For Damien, Shane, and Sheera.”

     Tony slightly narrowed his eyes at him. “Ms. D’s coming in. You think that’s wise?”

     Jared answered with a crooked smile.

     “Can we at least send him an anonymous drink or something?”

     Jared raised a brow. “What’s up with you?”

     “He decided to help us. He’s watching our backs. The least we could do is say thanks,” Tony muttered, eyes trailing across the bar and onto the dance floor where he saw a few familiar faces. Dinah for one. Thankfully she was dancing with a guy who wasn’t that undeserving prick Tyson.

     “You can thank him later,” Jared replied as he pushed Tony’s glass into his hand.

     Jared watched Tony lift his glass and then immediately set it back on the table. The brunet’s eyes widened and he half rose from his chair, and then kind of leaned over into Jake’s personal space. His eyes were aimed across the way towards the door.

     Jared turned to look. A handful of people were just inside. Two blokes and three girls. Damien was one of them. Another bloke stood next to him but Jared couldn’t get a good look at his face as the girls were blocking his view. The girls he recognized were part of Bouldevere’s entourage. “Who’s that with Damien? Where’s Shane?” and then one of the girls moved. “That’s Shane, yeah?” Amazing what a haircut could do. He turned to Tony. The man was practically drooling. “I can literally see you falling in love all over again. It really was at first sight for the two of you.” Because Shane was staring right back and it was just… really romantic and disgusting. Jared sneered.

     Jake laughed outright at the look on his face.

     “Damn,” Tony murmured. “Damn, damn, damn, damn.”

     The girls talking with the two went off. Damien and Shane were nearly to their table when they were stopped again. By Tyson. “Goddammit,” he hissed and made to leave this time. Jared grabbed his wrist.

     “Wait a minute,” Jared replied.

     Damien of course looked enraged Tyson had the nerve to approach him and Shane. To come anywhere near Shane. From his body language, Jared could see Tyson was scared shitless but also determined, and he spoke mainly to Shane. He wished he could see Tyson’s face. He was also speaking lowly so those at the table couldn’t hear what he was saying, but as the seconds passed, Damien’s face became less hostile and finally he started looking surprised.

     “Hey, it’s alright,” they heard Shane say. “No biggie. I know you didn’t do it to be mean.”

     Tyson said something else and Shane grinned, while Damien looked floored. “Sure! That’d be great! But we gotta go now.” Shane gestured off towards Tony and Tyson nodded. “Merry Christmas, by the way.”

     As they parted ways, Tyson looked back at him, looking kind of bewildered, but then he threw a smile at Shane and replied in kind.

     As they came to the table, Damien exclaimed, “what the hell?! Forget Jared! _You_ have super powers!”

     Shane shrugged his shoulders and then smiled when Jake vacated his seat next to Tony to give it to him, and then because Damien sat next to Shane, Jared moved around to sit next to him and Jake just ended back beside Tony on the opposite side.

     “Sweet! Wine! Please tell me one of these glasses is for me,” Shane begged, seemingly not noticing his boyfriend’s staring.

     “It is,” Jared said nodding.

     Shane flashed him a smile.

     Damien laughed. “What happened to you not drinking in public?”

     “Whatever. Wine’s awesome and it’s Christmas.”

     “Nice haircut.”

     Shane turned to Jake. “Thanks.” He reached up, tugging at the hair at the top of his head. “I like it.”

     “You look good,” was Jared’s input and he smirked when Tony shot him a glare.

     “Not just good,” Damien corrected as he pushed a full glass of wine in front of Shane. “He looks amazing. Right, Tony?”

     “Uh… yeah. It looks alright.”

     Jared shook his head while Shane grinned against his glass. He knew Tony well enough to know his boyfriend thought it was fucking fantastic. He’d get a more honest reaction once they were alone.

     Sheera arrived shortly after, heaving a feigned annoyed sigh that she was the only woman at the table. She dropped herself in between Jake and Jared. At least she was surrounded by hotness.

     “How’d it go?” Tony asked.

     “It went well. I don’t think she suspects anything. We got back with the groceries and separated to get dressed for the night. Mai was finished before me but Caleb distracted her by asking her to help find his cufflinks. I ran out as quietly as I could and left her ass there.” Sheera smiled at Jake as she accepted a glass of wine from him, and then she finally took a good look at those at the table. Understandably she stopped at Shane and her eyes widened. “Where’s my baby cousin?” she demanded.

     “Uh, I’m right here.”     

     “No! You don’t look like a baby anymore!”

     Shane grinned.

     “This sucks,” she mumbled. “He’s not a baby anymore.”

     Damien turned to a smirking Shane and winked at him.

     “Okay, you know what,” Sheera went on. “We need more girls in our group. This is fucked up. And no it doesn’t count just because you four are gay. And yeah, Jared. I’m labeling you.”

     The guys laughed. Tony sobered slightly when he saw she was being serious. “Why don’t you go invite Dinah over? We like her.”

     “I don’t think she wants to come anywhere near us after what happened.”

     “Bring her over,” Tony insisted. “I want to apologize to her anyway.”

     “Very well.” She hopped off her stool and went to locate Dinah.

     “What did Tyson say to you?” Tony asked Shane and Damien.

     “The fucker apologized to Shane,” Damien answered, again looking surprised. “I mean… he was really nervous, but his apology seemed sincere.”

     “He was,” Shane replied nodding. “And he invited us to hang with them the next time we’re on the slopes. Also said something about a New Years Eve party…”

     “Bizarre,” Tony murmured.

     Damien nodded rapidly. “I know, right! If he weren’t one hundred percent straight, I’d almost say he has a thing for cut-”

     “Let’s not go there,” Jared cut in when he saw Tony’s eye twitch.

* * *

 “Damien. This is lovely. It really is,” Daisy began as she, Shrod, and Rose were dropped off outside the front of Macaroons. “And it’s nice you want to let Caleb and Mai have some privacy…”

    “But…”

    “Maybe we shouldn’t go in there. Maybe we should try somewhere…else.”

    Damien turned, shared an amused look with Rose before smirking at Daisy. “Are you afraid of your son?”

    Daisy snorted and waved that away as ridiculous. “No. He’s just… he can be such a nag sometimes.”

     Rose laughed. “I’m very sure he’s said the same of you a time or twenty. You can be so overprotective, Daisy. It’s understandable, honey,” she soothed, “but it’s still true.”

     “We’ll have a good time,” Damien promised as he took her hand and waved for Rose to precede them.

     Rose sighed just outside the door. “I wish Rich could be here.”

     “I did try to change his mind,” Damien replied as he opened the door for the sisters, catching sight of a dozen men and women casually walking down each side of the road. They weren’t exactly inconspicuous, but it didn’t matter. As long as they did their job. As well as those of Shrod Sec who were around but who weren’t visible. Tonight he wasn’t taking any chances.

     “I know. He can be such a workaholic sometimes.”

     Daisy worried at the tone of her sister’s voice while Shrod’s eyes passed over the crowds. Immediately spotting his son and Jared sitting at a table directly in front near the bar. At the bar were Tony and Shane. The two standing close together and Tony seemed to be shamelessly flirting with Shane. “Shane cut his hair.”

     Jared’s associate was also in the building. Sitting just three booths away from the front door and facing it. The man caught his eye for half a second before looking away with a barely there smirk. Shrod felt like rolling his eyes. Spies and contract killers were so cocky.

    Sheera was over on the dance floor with Strathom and looking too damn stiff in the man’s arms. Though Jake didn’t seem bothered if the amused light in his eyes was anything to go off of.

     And then Damien spotted them. He sat straight in his seat, shot his arm up, and began waving his hand wildly at them. At least his son didn’t have a problem with seeing them there. “Ladies, go take a seat. What would you like to drink?”

     “Oh, we’ll have a nice beer,” Rose ordered for herself and her sister. “Not too light, not too dark. Something in between.”

     Daisy nodded in agreement before letting her sister pull her over to the table. They hadn’t been seated two minutes before Shane appeared and slipped into the open seat beside Daisy. He didn’t even move when Shrod returned with the ordered beer. Just kept his ass parked on that stool and flatly watched Shrod move around to an open stool across the table away from his mother. The fact that Shrod seemed amused by Shane’s antics pissed the young man off more.

     Damien mentally laughed and poured more wine for cutie before shoving the glass in front of him.

     Shrod leaned close to Jared. “Stop teaching things to that one,” he ordered, gesturing to Shane. “Look at the way he dares to glare at me.”

     Jared laughed and shook his head. “No way, Shrod. There’s a badass underneath that adorable and sheltered casing. I’m digging it out. You can kind of see it now, can’t you?”

     “Dammit,” Shrod hissed.

     “Besides, it’s not all me. Look to your own son, old man.”

     “You don’t stop calling me old man…” Shrod would have continued with his threat but his cell phone started going off. As he stood up to answer it, he caught to barely there frown Daisy threw at him. She would probably be less annoyed if she knew it didn’t have anything to do with business. She probably wouldn’t be annoyed at all if she knew exactly who he was talking to and why.

     Shane watched Shrod walk off and then he watched his mom watch Shrod walking off. He felt like screaming. His mom had it so bad.

     “Baby boy. Seriously,” Tony said as he leaned over his boyfriend’s back, dropping an arm across the freshman’s chest. “You need to relax about this. At least for tonight. It’s Christmas Eve. Let’s not ruin anyone’s night.”

     Shane groaned and removed himself from the seat, half glaring at Tony. “Just for tonight,” he stated. Tony winked and passed him his glass of wine… behind Daisy’s back, of course.

     When Jared’s cell phone went off, Damien didn’t even try to be subtle with the way he glared his annoyance when his lover immediately picked it up. “It’s your dad,” Jared replied to the glare with a shrug. He had to take the call.

     “He was just right here!”

     Jared shrugged again and then listened to whatever Shrod was telling him. “Doing it now,” he said and disconnected the call. “Be right back,” he told those at the table before walking off to the dining room. It wasn’t long before he came back and announced their dinner table was ready. Everyone was gathered and Jared led them up to the top floor and to the back to a semi-private dining room.

     “Whoa. That’s a lot of space for just the nine of us,” Shane said of the table which could hold double that. “Sure this is our table?”

     “All ours,” said Jared.

     Shane eyed the open chair beside his mom, contemplating until Tony took his wrist and led him around to the opposite side where their backs would be to the wall. Before they sat down, Tony pulled him close, lips poised just beside his ear. “You’re a riot, Shane.” He pulled up that wrist and kissed the inside of it, smirking when Shane’s annoyance instantly vanished. “And your new haircut is awesome.”

     Shane dropped his fingers to lightly grip Tony’s hips. “Yeah?”

     Tony moved his head a fraction and grinned against Shane’s mouth. “Yeah.”

     “We made sure you can still pull.”

     The taller of the two groaned and pulled Shane even closer until not even air could come between them and very soon after arms were locked tightly around each other and they were heavily lip locked, not at all concerned about the people around them.

     And now Daisy was the one giving them the steely eye. After Rose’s surprising warning, she couldn’t help it. That man was trying to take her baby. That man… Daisy sighed. That man made her son incredibly happy. And not just happy. Tony made Shane seem whole. He wasn’t the same boy from Freemon. And she knew some of that had to do with his experiences already in Allmsted, but most of the growing, the changes all had to do with Tony.

    “Stop giving them the evil eye,” Rose murmured. “They’re in love, honey. Whatever happens is going to happen.”

     “I’m afraid for him.”

     “Just like he’s afraid for you.” Rose smiled softly when her sister finally turned to her. “It’s exactly why he’s acting the way he is with Shrod. He’s afraid for you. But what you both need to understand is, not everything eventually falls apart. You just need to make sure you have the right pieces. You and Roy were not the right pieces and you knew that from the very beginning. You married Roy to please our parents. You married Roy to make sure Shane had a father. Nothing about that marriage was for you.” She gestured to the couple across the way who were still wrapped up in each other, laughing and whispering together between kisses. “I know Tony and I know Shane. I don’t see any wrong pieces.”  

     The chair to the left of Rose was pulled out. “Is this seat taken?”

     The sisters quickly turned to that voice in surprise. “Richard!” Rose bolted from her seat, grabbed her husband’s face, and planted a loud smacking kiss on his lips.

     Daisy twisted around towards the stairs to see Damien leading four more people up to join in on dinner. She had met most of them before. At the hospital and then when Damien hosted dinner at his house to declare a surprising number of things. What had surprised Daisy the most at that time was the quiet acceptance of everyone who sat around the table and heard exactly what was going on and what was likely to happen. Richard, a generally kind man and all around goofball had been nodding along to Shrod at that time.

    The only one she hadn’t met yet was Caleb’s mother, Matilda. She was even now being escorted to their table by Shrod and Kimiko, both who were speaking softly to her. Daisy wondered if Matilda and Kimiko were aware of what was happening with their children tonight. Lauretta and Jerry were the last to appear and Daisy got up to greet them, not really surprised anymore when Tony’s mom enfolded her in a big hug. She liked it, but outside of her family, she’d never come across that kind of greeting. Especially not in Freemon. People there were kind of cold.

     “This is a surprise. We didn’t know you were coming,” she said to the two.

     “Shrod likes surprises,” Jerry answered with a laugh. “And apparently tonight is a special occasion… aside from it being Christmas Eve.”

     “And where are our sons?” Lauretta wanted to know when she saw Sheera greeting her father and Damien was enthusiastically greeting Kimiko and Matilda.

     Daisy laughed and pointed to the darkened corner of their room, where Shane and Tony still seemed as if they didn’t notice what was happening outside of their little world. “Shane got a new haircut. I think Tony likes it.”

     Jerry snorted. “That boy could go bald and still Tony would like it.”

     Aside from the awful vision of Shane being bald at the age of eighteen, it was an otherwise sweet and true statement.

     Lauretta pulled away from them and marched over to the two and just stood right beside them. They didn’t notice her until she loudly cleared her throat.

     “Ma!” Tony immediately went to hug her while Shane backed up a step, embarrassment coloring his face. Especially when he turned and saw everyone who was up there now with them. Daisy smiled. He would always be her baby.

     Shane looked prepared to escape, but before he could even take one step, Lauretta was on him. Hugging him and then pulling slightly away. They started conversing in Italian and after a minute it was clear the two were going to ignore Tony. Lauretta and Shane seemed to get along really well. Daisy could tell just from his body language that her son like Tony’s mom very much.

     “It’s crazy,” Tony muttered as he stopped beside Daisy and Jerry. “I can’t keep up with them.”

     “You do know your ma wants you to marry that boy, right? She will beat your ass if you let the rocket get away.”

     The smirk Tony gave Jerry lasted for less than a second before he realized who was standing next to Jerry. Then he coughed and quickly looked away. “Uh… Jerry. You’ve met Ms. D, right? Shane’s _mother_.”

    The look on Jerry’s face indicated he knew exactly who Daisy was. Ah, and Tony was cute too when he was embarrassed. “You know what, Tony,” she began quietly and very seriously, stepping towards the young man who now looked slightly scared of her. “I don’t think I would mind that at all.”

    “What…really?!” and now he looked beyond excited. “Seriously, Ms. D? I can marry your son?!”

     A second later he slapped a hand over his mouth and groaned. Nearly everyone heard that.

     Daisy laughed. “I don’t really have the last say in that, do I?” but she saw how her blessings mattered to the young man and that made all the difference.

     Tony pulled his hand away. “Did he hear that?” he whispered to Jerry and Daisy.

     “Can’t tell,” Jerry returned, looking over to Shane and Lauretta. “He looks confused.”

     “I don’t think so,” Daisy assured.

     Tony didn’t dare turn to look himself. “So… how bout Caleb and Mai?”

     Sheera, Damien, and Jared were giving him knowing grins as they all began to sit down, giving over orders to the servers who had appeared to take orders for drinks and pass out the menus.

     “This was very nice of you,” Daisy whispered to Damien when he finally sat down beside her.

     “It’s Christmas and it is a special occasion…”

     Now he looked kind of embarrassed. This was new. And also oh so adorable to see on a man like him. He liked to be generous with his money, but he wasn’t exactly comfortable with the acknowledgment of his generosity.

     “You do this sort of thing often?”

     Shrod shrugged. “When I can, I will. I don’t really need all the money I have anyway.” And then he snapped open his menu to hide behind. Daisy kind of just melted there in her chair.

     “Daisy, I told you to prepare. I didn’t tell you to go over to him and announce it was okay,” Rose laughed in her ear.

     “Jerry brought it up. He said Tony’s mother would kick his butt if he didn’t marry Shane… it’s weird it was brought up again.”

     “No it’s not. I told you. We all know Tony. Did you know Shane’s the first boyfriend he’s ever introduced to his mother?”

     Daisy glanced down towards the end of the table where Shane and Tony were sitting with Jerry and Lauretta. “No, I didn’t know that.”

     “Yes. He had one partner that he was together with for nearly a year and a half and he never introduced him to his mother. Sheera said it was because Tony knew it wasn’t going to last.”

     “Why stay together for so long then?”

     “Looking to your own experiences, I think you can answer that,” Rose stated quietly.

     “Tony’s not a quitter,” Shrod replied just as quietly. “It’s not that he wanted it to end… he spent a lot of time, probably too much, trying to get it to work. Shane and Tony fight sometimes… they’ve had nasty fights, I’ve heard. But… they also know how to communicate. I don’t think they’ve ever entertained the thought of breaking up even when things are rough between them. At least that’s what Jared has said.”

     Rose leaned into her sister, smiling. “See? The right pieces.”

     “And Daisy,” he went on, smirking at her. “You should pay more attention to the way that relationship works. Shane has Tony wrapped around his finger. It doesn’t matter he’s several years younger… and that’s what you’re worried about isn’t it.”

    Daisy blew out a breath. “Yes.”

   “Tony’s a traditionalist. He wants to take care of Shane. And he will. He will bleed and sweat for your son and smile doing it.”

     “Okay. So now you want them to get married too?”

     He didn’t answer one way or another, but there was a calculating gleam in his eyes.

     Daisy cleared her throat and loudly asked, “aren’t we here to celebrate Mai and Caleb?”

     “Speaking of. Just received this…” Sheera grinned and held up her phone so the majority of people around the table could see it. A message read **Oh my God! He did it! He finally did it!**

It wasn’t a moment later, Kimiko pulled out her cell phone, smiling widely when she saw it was her daughter calling. She set it on the table and activated the speaker phone. “ _Kon’nichiwa_!”

     Mai started off screaming, it sounded almost hysterical but those around the table could hear how excited she was. “ _Kare wa watashi ni tazuneta_!” And then she went on, all in Japanese so only a handful of people actually knew what she was saying.

     Mai’s mother couldn’t stop smiling and even though Matilda couldn’t understand the words, she could understand the message clear enough and her smile was just as big. She and Kimiko were holding hands tightly. Really there wasn’t really one person who didn’t have a smile on their face around that table. Jared and Shrod were the only men to even try to keep the smiling down to a bare minimum.

     And when Mai disconnected the phone, the toasts began to the happy couple, even without the couple actually there, and Shane just kept grinning. Anything that had him drinking more wine. 

* * *

“Really, Shane. Way too much wine,” Daisy chastised as they climbed from one of the rented trucks. She then shot a little glare at Tony.

    Tony grabbed Shane’s arms and pulled him to stand in front, a barrier between himself and his lover’s mother. “I didn’t pour the wine.”

     “And I’m still standing. It’s not like I’m drunk, Mom. Didn’t even have that much.” Upon the tightening of her face, Shane pressed back against Tony. “But I won’t do it again, of course.”

     It was by some miracle Daisy decided to drop it for now and she left them with a stern look as she turned and headed to the lodge with the others, all except Damien, Jared, Sheera, and Jake.

     “You sure they know we’re coming back?” Damien asked. “Sure they’re not doing anything private?”

     “I called to make sure. Though they still don’t know our parents are here.”

     Jared prodded the others forward. “Go in. I’ll be back soon.”

     “But, bastard…”

     “I won’t be too long.” He turned and started walking away before Damien could argue further. After a moment, Tony turned and jogged after him as did Jake.

     “I want to come.”

     “Yeah. Me too.”

     Jared looked to the sky and groaned. It was his own fault really. For bringing them into this. But at least they weren’t going to sit on their arses waiting for the shit to hit the fan. It was nice they were prepared to take proactive roles. “Just stay quiet and keep your eyes open.”

     “Okay.”     

     “Sure.”

     Sheera, Shane, and Damien watched them go off, not really surprised or upset by the fact. And then they were distracted by the happy screaming and laughter from the lodge just up the path.

     “Shall we?” asked Damien, taking up Sheera’s arm. “This sounds like fun.”

     “Yes. After you, princess,” Sheera answered with a smirk.

     Damien sniffed and lifted his chin. “Sounds better when Jared says it.”

     Sheera laughed. “I’m sure.”

     They walked in and were immediately hit with warmth, laughter, and joy of the occasion. Caleb and Mai were standing just in front of the huge round fireplace, still being given hugs and congratulations. Caleb’s arm was wound tightly around his mother’s shoulders and she seemed a lot less tense now with her eldest son towering over her.

     “She said yes, dude!” Caleb exclaimed to Damien when they drew near.

     “Yeah, we told you she would.”

     Caleb lunged forward and grabbed Damien in a hug, lifting the Shrod heir off his feet. “She said yes!”

     Damien laughed. “I can’t believe you even had a doubt,” he replied once Caleb had set him back down.

     Shane approached and extended a hand with a wide smile. “Congratulations.”

     Caleb eyed that hand and then slapped it away. “Cut that crap out, man!” And then Shane was subjected to the same kind of hug Damien had been given. Shane wheezed out a laugh once he was set back down. Caleb was strong.

     Sheera and Mai were hugging; Mai was kind of crying too. Happy tears of course. “It was so romantic! He made me dinner, and then we danced, and then he dropped to one knee…” she started giggling. “For a moment I thought he hurt himself!”

    “Ha ha. Very funny,” Caleb returned when everyone laughed at that.

    “And now you’re all here!” Mai went on, clutching at her mother and smiling widely at Shrod because she knew it was his doing.

    Champagne was soon passed out and into every hand. Daisy handed over a glass to her son with an eyebrow raised. “I think now it would be alright.”

     Shane smiled sheepishly at her.

     Seats were taken, chatter continued to go on, and soon Jared, Jake, and Tony returned. They gave their congratulations, took the offered drink from Daisy and Rose, and it wasn’t two minutes after they sat down when someone knocked on the front door. Being closest to the door, Shane got up to go answer, but Jared pushed him back down with a hard look.

     “It’s late and we’re not expecting anyone else. Don’t be so careless.”

     “How am I supposed to know if anyone else is coming, Jared? Don’t be a dick right now.”

     The hard look disappeared “Just... Just be more careful, Shane. Okay?”

     Since he knew Jared hadn’t meant to be like that, was only concerned about them, about what was out there, he was immediately contrite. “Yeah. Okay. Sorry.”

     Jared walked to the door, ignored the next round of knocking, and pulled out his phone to check the surveillance camera which Billy had connected to his mobile. There was only one person outside. He couldn’t see the face clearly. Just a tall guy with dark hair. He didn’t immediately see any weapons either.

     The fact that no one asked what he was doing and why he wasn’t immediately opening the door clued him in on the fact Shrod must have warned them about what was going on. And still they all came. He smirked. He really liked this group.

    Stowing his cell away, Jared finally opened the door. And his smirk grew. “Not really surprised he sent you.”

    The guy nodded. It was a slight bow. Jared stepped away and allowed the visitor to step inside. Just like Billy, this bloke was a welcome sight and was a force to be reckoned with. The same age as himself, same height, and nearly the same education and skills. Toyama Ryuu, son and heir of the Toyama family. Mai’s big brother.

   “Shit,” Caleb hissed under his breath.

* * *

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this segment :) More to come soon. Reviews are always welcome!


	30. Episode Thirty

**The Sage Haze**

**Episode Thirty**

Shane took one look at the guy, stood up and moved across the room to stand next to Tony. From there he studied the guy as Jared took his coat. The newcomer was tall, lean, but clearly built strong. He had longish hair but his face was clean cut. He didn't look scary, but the vibe coming off him was 'danger!'. And his eyes too. They were dark and intense. He was also super hot, but Shane would keep that to himself.

"Mai's brother," Tony whispered to him as they watched Ryuu walked straight across the room to Mai and Kimiko.

" _Ani_!" Mai squealed happily.

Ryuu wrenched Mai away from Caleb and hoisted his sister off her feet in a hug. Mai was crying again, still happy tears. She hadn't seen her brother in nearly a year.

Caleb sidled up to Shrod, glared a little at him. "Please tell me he's staying at the main lodge. Please, I'm begging you, man."

"For the time being. And Caleb, I apologize. I didn't realize he would be coming in tonight."

Caleb blew out a breath and Tony shot him a grin, knowing full well Caleb was a little afraid of Mai's brother. Completely understandable. They were looking at a fully fledged Yakuza after all. When Caleb slunk away to the small den, Tony and Shane followed him. Tony laughed outright at the pout on his friend's face.

"What's wrong?" Shane demanded. "You just got engaged! There shouldn't be anything but a smile on your face right now."

"Shane, that guy hates me!" Caleb burst out. "Hates!"

Shane dropped into the seat next to him. "Who could hate you?"

"That guy!"

"It's true," Tony said as he took a seat across from Caleb and Shane. "Ryuu can't stand Caleb. At least in regards to him dating Mai. Think it's because he's not Japanese."

"That's stupid."

Tony shrugged. "Remember who he is. Tradition is everything for those guys. _Especially_ concerning family."

"I got the big guy's blessings. Mai's grandfather. But it's not going to matter to Toyama."

"Then try not to let him bother you if you already have the leader's blessings," Shane said. "You get to marry her no matter what her brother says."

Tony nodded. "And Mai won't let him change her mind anyway. If that were going to happen, it would have already."

Caleb blew out another breath and then kind of grinned at them. "Yeah. Guess you're right." He nudged Shane's arm. "Nice haircut, dude."

Shane grinned. "Thanks!"

"You look good! Doesn't he, Tony?"

Tony glared at Caleb a little and then turned his eyes on Shane. "Yeah. He's looking fucking hot. And if all these fucking people weren't here, I'd have him on the fucking bed and I'd be fucking him already."

Predictably Shane's ears went beet red. "Oh my God! TONY!"

"It's true. I'd so have you naked right now, testing out that new hair…"

Someone at the doorway cleared their throat, and three pairs of eyes shot that way to find Mai and her brother standing there. Mai was giggling behind a hand.

Shane jumped to his feet. "Please tell me you didn't hear that."

"We heard," Ryuu announced.

Shane rounded on his boyfriend. "New people! New people, asshole! Don't be saying shit like that out loud with new people around! Jesus! What if that were my mom?!"

Tony grinned at him. "Only speaking my mind. Caleb started it."

"Didn't really want you to go that far, dude."

"I can't help it when it comes to him."

Mai pushed her brother further into the room. "Anyway! _Ani_ , this is Shane," she announced, gesturing to the red faced young man who looked like he wanted to murder Tony. "Shane, this is my big brother, Toyama Ryuu. You can call him Ru."

Upon this announcement, Ryuu turned to halfway glare at his sister. He then turned back to Shane. He raised his hands in prayer form and bowed. After a slight indication from Mai, Shane repeated the movement.

Once they were both standing back up straight, Ryuu studied Shane. "I've heard many things about you. I wonder if they are true."

"You'll find out, I guess. Nice to meet you."

Ryuu nodded in return before turning to Tony, who had stood by this time. "Tony. Always a pleasure."

"Right back at you. Were you already here in the states or did you fly from Japan?"

"I've been settled back home for the last half year. Many things to be done at home."

As he spoke, Shane could hear the English language wasn't his first language, but he still spoke it very well. Very proper. Whereas most times when Mai spoke, you would assume she was born and raised in the states with the dialogue and slang she used. The thing about this guy is he never cracked a facial expression. Just stoic all around.

And then Ryuu and Caleb were facing each other and the tension in the room spiked. Not just spiked. It burst through the roof and shot high into the sky.

Mai clasped her hands behind her back. The smile on her face was fixed. " _Ani_." The tone was laced with warning too. Ryuu glanced at her from the corner of his eye and his jaw clenched. Shane thought about leaving, but then he quickly discarded that idea. He didn't want to leave Caleb in this situation. He didn't care that this was Mai's brother. This was a special night for Caleb and he'd be damned if he'd let this guy ruin it further.

He felt Tony press back against him and wound an arm around his front. Tony wouldn't leave for that reason either.

Caleb finally caved first and moved to bow to Ryuu. "Good seeing you again, Toyama."

Ryuu didn't say a thing. Neither did he move. Just kept staring Caleb down. Which was odd because of course Caleb was taller. But he still managed to be intimidating. Shane felt Tony tense at his back and lifted a hand to grasp the arm across his chest.

"No. I will not say the words," Ryuu ground out before spinning around and striding away.

"Ryuu!" shouted Mai as she raced after him. "Ryuu! _Baka_! How dare you!" And then she went on in Japanese and Shane knew whatever she was saying wasn't nice.

"What was that?" Tony asked.

"He refuses to give blessings. I don't know, maybe he thinks I'm weak or something."

They might have discussed it further, and Shane wanted to desperately cheer him up because he looked kicked right now, but Mai flounced back in and pressed Caleb back to sit before climbing onto his lap. Hugging him and pressing her face against his neck. At that point Tony nudged Shane out of the room to leave the couple alone for a time.

* * *

"Why the new hair, Shane?" asked Tony as he leaned against the long thigh length dresser across from their bed.

Shane dropped into the chair next to the balcony and began to remove his shoes. He kept his eyes on his dress shoes. "Why not?"

"Shane."

"I didn't think you would mind or care."

Tony narrowed his eyes. Shane was still refusing to pull his eyes away from his shoes. "I don't care… I mean, I do. It looks great. It's your hair… Baby, you know that's not what I mean."

Finally Shane looked at him. Those big blue eyes. "I just… I wanted a change."

"I could have gone with."

Shane finally grinned at the grumble. "I wanted to surprise you. Surprise."

Tony snorted and pushed off the dresser. He moved until he was standing over Shane. They had yet to really talk about what happened. Not in detail, not about the aftermath. Tony was not about to make that mistake again. He leaned down and dropped hands onto the arm rests before pressing his lips to his boyfriend's. "Get undressed and I'll cuddle you," he said as he backed away again.

Shane laughed. "You hate cuddling, dude."

It also still surprised Tony that Shane hadn't figured it out yet. He loved cuddling Shane. He was just very good at hiding the truth. And most times Shane was always sleeping when he did it. Or they had just had sex. But right now he didn't really want sex. He wanted Shane. He wanted to hold him and talk to the love of his life.

Shane sobered slightly as he stood to go grab some night clothes while Tony went into the en suite. "Mai's brother… I don't want him here if he's going to be a dick to Caleb the entire time."

He heard Tony's mutter of agreement. By the time Tony came back into the bedroom, they were both dressed in sweats and t-shirts.

"I think when he finds out Caleb's taken a direct approach to some things, he might relax a little. Maybe he thinks Caleb is unable to protect Mai properly."

"Still no reason to be a dick to him. And even when he does find out, if Jared lets him know, and he starts being nice to him because of that, he's still a dick."

Tony laughed and dropped to the bed onto his back. "I guess. He's decent to me and Damien. Sheera too. Hey, at least he got an earful from Mai and his mom. Think that's why he took off with Jared so fast."

Shane climbed into bed beside him, turning so that his front was pressed against Tony's side. "So is he going to be filled in on everything?"

"That's what Jared says. Safer that way I guess. I'm pretty sure he didn't come alone. Whenever he visits Mai and their mom, he never comes alone. He's always got two or three guys with him. Most times these guys are cousins or very loyal members of the family. Shane, let's get back to this hair thing," he pressed while running fingers up along the back of his neck and against the very short soft buzzed cut edge. The hair there was way lighter. Completely blond. Just a shade darker than Damien's natural color.

"It's just a haircut, man!"

The fact that Shane was getting so defensive had Tony certain it wasn't just hair he was trying to get rid of. "Pissy."

Shane snorted and elbowed him in the gut. "I don't even know why you're asking. You already know. You already know why I did it. So why don't we talk about what's on your mind. Easy way to start, right?"

Tony rolled over on top of him. "You're still you."

Shane nodded. "Yeah. But I kind of feel different too. I keep waking up in the middle of the night. I keep seeing that guy."

"Wish you'd never been put into that situation; that you didn't have to do that."

"I killed someone," Shane whispered; saying it out loud for the first time. "I t-took a life, Tony."

"Baby-"

"No. I'd do it again. Like I told Damien, I'd do it again. He was going to kill you. He really w-was. And then there would be no point… of anything ever again. And I'd r-rather kill people then ever lose you, Tony. And if it happens again, it h-happens. And I'm changing. I know I am. And maybe I'm afraid I'll change too much and you won't want me anymore…"

"Everyone changes. That's life. We'll change together. We'll help each other cause that's the way we are, baby boy. That's how I know we're going to last. You know it. We fight all the time and it makes no difference."

"Stupid fights."

Tony flashed a grin. "Yeah. Fights that mean nothing in the long run. I've seen people break up for less. That's not us."

"I think deep down we enjoy the fights."

"I knew you started them for no reason. Little shit."

"Hey, asshole…"

"And there's the whole… love thing."

Finally Shane smiled. "Don't throw up on me."

"Hey I can say it."

"Apparently not easily."

"Are you fishing?"

"Maybe."

Tony shifted, frowned. "Spread your legs wider, brat. I wanna get comfortable."

Shane did as he asked, spreading his legs to let Tony's hips fit snug between his thighs. And then he went one step further and wrapped his legs around Tony's lower back.

"Better. Much better."

"Stop calling me brat," Shane said flatly.

"I would if I thought you really wanted me to."

Shane hissed out through his teeth and moved his head so he could bury his face against Tony's neck. "Hey, Tony?"

Tony grinned against his hair. He sounded embarrassed. "Yeah?"

"Do you… Do you think we'll ever get married?"

The tensing of the body beneath him told him Shane hadn't really wanted to ask that but had been unable to help himself. "What brought this on?"

"Guess all this talk of marriage."

Tony tensed. "What? Where?"

"You know. Caleb and Mai's engagement, dude… Never mind. Forget it."

"Married to each other?"

"Shut up. I said forget it."

Tony did shut up. Otherwise he'd give it up. He was already impatient. But he decided it would be after Shane's birthday. That wasn't so long away. He could wait a couple months. He also wanted to make sure it wouldn't bother Mai or Caleb. Though he was pretty sure it wouldn't.

"Are we going back to the slopes tomorrow?"

"Yeah, if you want."

"Hell yeah! It's fun! And the snow's pretty awesome!"

"Addicting, isn't it?"

Shane pulled his face away and he had that wide excited smile on his face. "It is! Almost just like running!"

Tony huffed out a laugh and pressed his lips against Shane's neck. _You're still you._

* * *

" _Great party crasher,"_ Jared muttered in Japanese to the man walking alongside him.

" _It's not fucking right. He's not Yakuza. He doesn't know our ways."_

" _So teach him your ways. He's not a dumbass. He can handle his own. Has. You think your grandfather would have said yes otherwise?"_

Ryuu glanced at him. "He would not say why he gave his blessings. Just that he did."

"You trust your grandfather. Why not trust him in this? Trust your sister too. Stop being mad she didn't like any of the blokes you chose for her."

"How do you know of that?"

Jared didn't answer and Ryuu let that go for the time being. They walked into the lodge and headed straight for the lifts. At this time of night there weren't many people hanging about downstairs.

"How many did you bring with you?" he asked once they were in the lift and he'd pressed for the fifth floor.

"I'm on the seventh floor, Newton."

"How many?"

"Ten. Five here and five to wait in Allmsted. More will come if I need them."

Jared mulled that over. "You're going to get your ass kicked if you continue to act that way with Caleb."

Ryuu snorted derisively. "I would like to see you try."

Jared grinned. "Not me. Shane."

" _Otouto-san_?" Ryuu laughed.

"I'm telling you. He takes being little brother seriously. And he doesn't need to fight by being violent."

They stopped outside of room 510. A corner suite. Jared pulled out a key card, knocked loudly four times, and then slid the key card in before swinging the door open. The lodge suites were more like hotel rooms than the individual lodges, but the rooms were still big and they each had a miniature kitchen in them. Some had only one bedroom but most had two or three. Shrod set Billy up in one of the nicest rooms within the place.

Jared wasn't surprised to find Billy hunkered down with his laptop in the barely lit kitchen at the kitchen table. The light of the laptop bouncing off Billy's eyeglasses. Glasses that always made him look a little nerdy. It made Jared want to smile, reminding him of when they were kids. Billy had always been the brains and him the brawn.

"Me thinks she ran away, boyo," Billy piped up before they were even in the kitchen. He didn't pull his eyes away from the computer screen. "I bet your Shane surprised the hell outta her by killing that slug. Gotta say I'm impressed with the kid. Aside from that I haven't seen any movement around here in a couple of days. Probably won't see her again until you get back to the city. On a brighter note, I think I found her."

"Where?"

"At least where she was last week. Sure it's bullocks now though."

"That's not what I want to hear."

Billy grinned. "Go tell your princess. I'm sure he'll kiss it and make it better."

"Ha ha."

"Hey at least now I have a trail. So then," Billy finally pulled his eyes away from the laptop to focus on them. "Who'd you bring me?"

"Toyama Ryuu."

Billy pulled down his glasses a bit to study Ryuu over the top. "Ooh. Yakuza. Always wanted to work with you lot. You always bring in the best partners, Dec."

"I try."

"Is he fun?"

"That remains to be seen. I've yet to work with him outside of business."

"I am standing right here," Ryuu ground out.

"Sure and you're hard to miss," Billy replied with another glance over, one eyebrow rising; he then leaned forward to shut his computer, removed his glasses and tossed those onto the table, and then grabbed the room service menu which he'd thrown behind his computer. "Do ya think Shrod would get pissed if I were to order two of everything off this menu?"  
"It's too late tonight but probably not."

"A generous employer. Don't get many of them. Pull up a chair, mate," Billy instructed Ryuu. "Not gonna bite." When both Ryuu and Jared were sitting, Billy looked at his long time friend. "Why haven't you brought me your hot yank yet? Afraid I'll spill all your dirty secrets?"

"I'm trying to keep him calm. You saw what happened last time. She does that to him. Just the thought of her…"

"No worries, mate. We'll get the cunt."

"I think I should tell you. You do a good job with this and Shrod's looking to offer you a job."

"You know me. I don't do fixed."

"But money you do and he won't take no for an answer."

Billy nodded. "I'll give it a thought. So then, you two know each other?"

"We've had business dealings over the last couple of years," Ryuu stated, apparently tired of sitting there silently. "Between Shrod and my grandfather."

"Old man really is conniving. Did that on purpose, huh? Knowing you're Mai's family."

"We consider it a fortunate partnership."

"Jesus! Another uptight one."

Jared smirked. "Only when he's speaking English. He's a right dirty mouth otherwise. And he cheats in fights."

"Fighting dirty is not cheating, Newton."

Billy studied Ryuu. "Laid him flat on his arse, haven't cha?"

"Many times."

"Brilliant." He turned to Jared. "Right then. I might like this one. Are we filling him in? Does he know _everything_?"

"Not everything, no. His grandfather does though."

"How does he know?"

"Fairly certain Shrod told him."

"That could be dangerous."

"I trust Shrod to watch my back. If he thinks it's beneficial, I'll take his word for it."

"One day you're going to tell me the story of you and Shrod."

"One day," Jared promised.

"What do I not know?"

Billy stared at Jared a moment. He was clearly hesitant to give it up. "He can be trusted with this," Jared replied. "Like he said. A fortunate partnership."

Billy gave it another quick thought before nodding. "Right then," he turned to Ryuu, "contract killers and assassins at your service, Yakuza. Be sure to keep that to yourself."

"Probably why we get along so well," Jared put in.

"You kill people for a living?" Ryuu didn't sound all that surprised. Though he did look at Billy with more than a little disbelief. Jared didn't blame him. Not only did Billy's glasses make him look nerdy, but so did his clothes on occasion.

"More or less," Jared responded. "We do have other skills we utilize."

"He's Mr. Corporate, don'tcha know?"

Ryuu chewed on that for a minute. "Why are you telling me?"

Billy nodded. "Good question."

"You would have found out anyway. And I'm looking for cooperation, Toyama. This isn't just about protecting Mai. If your ways go about fucking up mine, we'll have problems. The latest threat had some guy trying to kill Tony and abducting Shane. Luckily Shane has good aim."

" _Otouko_?"

"Yeah. So don't fucking underestimate any of us. Tony, Damien, and Caleb were partners on my last job. We took out the gang responsible for Shane's stabbing, the fuckers messing with Caleb's brother."

"That's true then," Ryuu murmured.

"Do you not believe anything your sister tells you?"

"When it comes to her… boyfriend. No."

"Stubborn."

Jared's cell phone started ringing before Ryuu could reply; Billy stared at Jared incredulously while Ryuu snorted. Jared cleared his throat and shot out of his seat and across to the sitting room.

"How many bloody times do I need to tell you to stop changing my ring tone?" he hissed into the phone.

" _Bastard! Where are you?"_

"I told you where I am. Honestly, why can't you wait five minutes?"

" _YOU'VE BEEN GONE TWENTY!"_

"So sad," Billy murmured. "He used to be a cold-blooded killer. Now he's just a soggy-blooded killer."

Ryuu laughed and Jared must have heard Billy because he looked over with a death glare. Billy just smirked. "Hey, you want something to drink?" he asked the Asian who would not stop using that disbelieving look on him. When Ryuu nodded, Billy got out of his seat and gestured the guy to follow him over to the fridge which was stocked with all sorts of drinks. "Let's see. We've got…"

"Damien, give me ten more minutes. I'm setting Toyama up with some information and then I'll be-"

Ryuu's slight gasp of shock and then the sound of a body hitting the floor had Jared spinning back around towards the kitchen. He pulled the phone from his ear and squinted into the darkness. "Billy, what the hell?!" he demanded, striding into the kitchen.

Billy had Ryuu laid flat on his back right next to the fridge. He was crouched over and holding a very sharp knife against the Yakuza's throat.

"He wouldn't stop giving me that look," Billy replied lowly, staring into Ryuu's shocked eyes. "You know I hate that look, mate."

Jared's attention dropped to Ryuu. "Don't. He hates being underestimated."

" _Seriously, Jared!"_ Damien's voice shrieked from the phone. " _I'm naked here! Waiting. Tick tock, fucker! In five minutes my pants are going back on and they are not coming back off!"_

Jared cut off the connection and spun around towards the door. "Shit. Err… Billy. Don't kill him and give him the files. See you tomorrow." And then he was gone.

"That's nice of him, eh? Leaving you like this." Billy smiled and it was cold. "I can see it in your eyes. Think you can move faster than me like this? I know you have some skills. Trained in martial arts since you could walk, yeah? Try it. This isn't amateur hour, Toyama. Do you understand? I'm not sure my associate made this clear."

"Understood."

Surprisingly Toyama didn't sound angry at all. Billy's face brightened. "Well then!" He pulled back the knife and stood. "Let me get you the file."

"What about the drink?" Ryuu inquired as he raised himself up by his elbows.

Billy laughed. "Yeah. Definitely like you," he answered, holding out a hand to help the bloke to his feet.

* * *

"What are you doing out here?"

The harsh demand had Sheera groaning as she peeled her eyes open. She was still severely hung over. "What time is it?"

"5:45 am. Dammit, Sheera! What are you doing?"

"Jake, what the hell?" she croaked. "It's too early. What are you doing up?"

"I always get up early. You know this! Why are you sleeping on the couch?"

"Not enough rooms. Gave mine up to Lauretta and Jerry. It's only for a couple of days." She then rolled over, pressing her face against the back of the couch. "Now go the fuck away and let me sleep more." She then pulled the blanket up to her ears. "Fucking cold out here."

Jake narrowed his eyes further. After a moment of fuming contemplation, he hoisted Sheera off the couch and into his arms. "Shut up," he hissed at her before she could start shrieking and wake everyone up. "Go back to sleep."

"If you dump me in the snow, I will kill you. All gooey feelings aside."

"Gooey feelings?" Jake grinned as he easily trekked up the stairs. "No way, honey. You're hard as nails."

"Only on the outside," she slurred. "But on the insides, it's all goo for you. Disgusting."

She must still be drunk, he thought. No way would she ever admit that out loud otherwise. And she definitely wouldn't be snuggling up against his chest like this either. She was completely relaxed in his arms.

Jake managed to get his key card and get it into the door without dropping her. Then he strode to the bed and tossed her onto it before covering her up. "Go back to sleep. Moron. Can't believe you chose to sleep on the couch."

"Instead of what? Bunking with you?" Sheera sighed happily as she relaxed under the covers. "You know damn well neither of us would have gotten any sleep then."

Jake ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "Sheera."

"You know what, Jake?" the woman sat up, blinked drowsily at him. "Come here."

Jake debated on whether or not he should risk it. He couldn't judge her mood. Then he decided he didn't care. So he went around and sat on the edge and waited for whatever that sharp bitchy tongue was going to throw at him.

The moment he sat down she grabbed the collar of his sweater, jerked him towards her, and planted one on him. Though it was really only a way too short sucking of his bottom lip.

"Your breath is horrible," was the only thing he could think to say once she released him.

"I know!" she laughed and dropped back down to the pillow. "I was drinking all night. What did you expect?"

"Bitch."

"You love it. Thanks for the bed, Jake."

"Kiss me again sometime, would you?"

"Let me get some more sleep. Then Ill brush my teeth and we can go at it for real. Just to see what it's like."

At this point he'd take anything he could get, and he wasn't about to let her get away from it either.

Once back downstairs, he immediately went to the fireplace to start her up. Sheera was right. It was fucking cold, which was one of the reasons why he'd gotten so pissed to find her sleeping there. He then went to make coffee, knowing if Jared wasn't up and out yet then he would be soon. Shrod too. Both early risers like himself. Shane would come next, then Mai. Caleb after and then Sheera. Tony and Damien were always the last ones up. Though this morning he kind of expected not to see Caleb and Mai for some time. The others he didn't know.

He turned towards the doorway when he heard hurried footsteps above head and witnessed Shane coming down the stairs with a smallish gift box in his hands. Jake moved out of the kitchen in time to see him shove the box in with the others.

"Want some coffee?"

Shane spun around, eyes super wide. Jake laughed.

"Um… yeah. Thanks."

And then Shrod appeared from the hall adjacent. He had a white bag in hand, ignored the two and went to the tree. Stooping down he started pulling out small boxes. Just about the size of Shane's box. He pulled out four and set those with the rest of the presents.

"Whatever's in those has to be good, right?" Shane whispered to him.

"Absolutely. On the other hand, it could be nothing but rock candy."

Shane laughed. "Rock candy?"

Shrod turned to Shane. "I need you to help me collect breakfast."

Shane stopped laughing. "Okay." He knew better than to be a dick right now. Shrod wasn't asking. He was telling. "But who's even open right now?"

"Someone will meet us at the shop. I have a standing order. The woman who owns the shop keeps it open herself until noon. And that's when the resort opens today."

Shane narrowed his eyes slightly. "Is my mom awake?"

Jake pressed his lips together to keep from laughing at the obvious dig. He also caught sight of Shrod's barely there smirk.

"I wouldn't know. Go knock on her door if you want to know so badly."

Shane blew out a breath. "Let me go get my boots and jacket."

Jake saw Shane was just barely able to keep from stomping up the stairs.

"Daisy."

"Oh. Hi, honey. You're up early," Daisy yawned as she came from the downstairs hall. She bumped into Shrod and planted a kiss on his cheek on her way to the kitchen. She looked asleep still. Jake watched the man turn to be able to watch her walk away. "Coffee! God Bless whoever made this!"

And there was that rare smile on the billionaire's face. "We're going to collect breakfast," he called to her.

"Alright. I'll keep the coffee full. Be careful."

Shane was back in a few minutes. He looked less annoyed and followed Shrod without a word or glare.

"Jake? Is this your cup?" Daisy called from the kitchen. "Do you want a refill?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Daisy snorted as he walked in. "I'm not my sister. No need to charm me."

"Shane went off with Shrod to get breakfast."

"Did he? Surprising."

"Shrod kind of ordered it."

"Not surprising."

Jake sat down only after Daisy did and thanked her for the refill. She was probably too busy savoring her own cup to have heard him. They sat there in silence for a few minutes before Daisy was awake enough to start chatting. They had talked some at the hospital when he went to visit Sheera and Shane, and more still on this trip, so talking to her was easy.

"So," she ventured with a sweet smile. "Making any headway?"

Jake laughed. He'd known that was coming. "Yeah."

"You know, Sheera's got a great eye for fashion. She's loyal to you. To your store. Just saying. "

He eyed her and he would have responded but noise from overhead had him pausing and they both eyed the ceiling with trepidation. There was a lot of shouting going on; screaming more like. Damien. He sounded half panicked, half furious. His shouts were enough to wake everyone. Especially when it sounded like he was throwing stuff around.

Daisy wrapped her hands tightly around her mug. "That's not a fight."

Jake quietly agreed.

She pulled in a breath and pushed back from the table. She calmed herself as he jogged up the stairs. Mai was already at the door but Daisy waved her off. Damien was still shouting but it also sounded like crying. She could hear Jared talking back, voice low and calm. And then the noise cut off with the slamming of a door. Daisy pulled in another calming breath and knocked.

"Is everything alright?" she asked when Jared wrenched the door open. It was a stupid question, she knew that, but she didn't have anything else to start with. Jared's eyes were wide. Like he'd been kicked awake.

"He had a nightmare. Led to a panic attack."

"Can I come in?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Ms. D."

"Please."

He stepped back to let her in and then shut the door behind her. The room wasn't half as bad as she expected it to be though the mirror on the wall was shattered, a laptop lay across by the window, broken. A chair was toppled over as well as a night stand.

"He's in the bathroom. Locked the door."

She took his arm, squeezed it gently. "Go sit down."

It was a testament to how shaken his nerves were that he did. Daisy approached the door and knocked.

"GO THE FUCK AWAY!"

"Damien? Can I come in?"

"Ms D?"

"Yes."

"Go away." At least he didn't scream it this time. His voice was small and muffled.

"I'm not going to do that so you might as well open this door right now."

Jared pulled in a breath and Daisy stood her ground.

It was a surprise to both of them when the door opened. It was only cracked open. Daisy slipped inside and shut the door behind her. She mentally laughed when she saw the counter. There were products everywhere. She was one hundred percent sure most of that was Damien's. She spent a moment walking around. It was a large bathroom. There were two sitting chairs, the toilet, shower and bath. Also a chair sitting in front of a long mirror and counter.

"You use foundation?" she asked the young man who was sitting, pressed into the corner where a chair usual sat.

"Sometimes," he muttered. His face was pressed against his knees. "For the circles under my eyes or when my face has the nerve to break out. Doesn't happen so much anymore."

The poor guy was shaking. Daisy pulled out the chair in front of the mirror and sat facing him. She didn't dare approach him or try to touch him right now. She knew better than that. "Are you alright, Damien?"

"I hate it. I hate it, Ms. D. I can't even remember what it was, but I woke up screaming. And… And I got so mad. I can't ever control it. And I woke everyone up and hit Jared and its Christmas and I ruined it!"

"You didn't ruin it, Damien."

"I hit Jared! I hit him!"

He was embarrassed now. That's all this part was. He was embarrassed and upset that he hit Jared. She moved to crouch in front of him. Hesitantly, she reached a hand out to touch his shoulder. It was the look in his eyes when he raised his face to look at her when she truly understood. When she found herself looking into the eyes of a person who was younger than the body encasing him. Into the eyes of a young boy.

"Honey, it's okay. He understands." Damien shook his head. "I promise. He does. He's just really upset because you won't talk to him. He's very worried about you. He's not mad."

Oh and now his bottom lip was trembling like a little boy's and all she wanted to do was grab him and hug him. They had talked about his conditions, Damien's father and herself, but she hadn't completely grasped it until this very moment.

"Did you get Jared a Christmas present?" Damien's eyes brightened up a little bit and he nodded. "I bet you got him something wonderful."

"I did!" and now he was smiling excitedly. "He's gonna love it!"

"Why don't you give it to him now? Cheer him up. And you might want to go calm your man down. He's seems pretty shaken up."

"But…"

"I told you. He's only upset that you've locked yourself away from him." Daisy stood and smiled down at him. Holding out a hand. He looked at it and frowned in suspicion and defiance. Daisy wasn't put off. Patience was needed here and she had plenty after raising her son practically alone. And she also knew Damien trusting any type of mother figure like this would be almost impossible. "Your father and Shane left to get breakfast. They should be back soon. We can all eat and then get up on the mountain and have some fun. And then it's back here for presents and Christmas dinner."

Hesitantly he reached out for her hand and climbed to his feet. She led him to the door and was supremely surprised he didn't let go of her hand.

"Shane went with Daddy? Alone?"

Daisy laughed. "Yes. Shocking, isn't it? Though I'm told he didn't really have a choice."

Just before she opened the door, Damien tugged on her hand. "Are you sure he's not mad?"

"I think he's more frustrated with himself," she replied honestly. "It'll be alright. You'll see."

He let her open the door but when she tried to pull her hand away, he wouldn't allow it. In fact he pressed against her back and hid his face against the back of her head. Daisy studied Jared, who had been outside pacing. But he stopped upon seeing them. His eyes immediately went to Damien and she understood Jared was not yet used to it when Damien reverted. But that didn't stop him from coming over and gently pulling him away from her. He then tightly wrapped Damien in his arms, kissed his temple, and Daisy easily slipped away out of the room.

Once the door was closed behind her, she leaned back against it and blew out a breath. Poor boy. And then she frowned murderously. To think his own mother had done that to him; abused him to the point of that. To easily be able to trap him within his mind. What tortures must she have put Damien through as a small child? And then the anger gave way to acute sadness and she felt her eyes sting at the thought of the fright she'd seen his eyes.

When a hand lay on her shoulder, Daisy jumped. She then quickly dashed a hand across her eyes and tried smiling at Mai. "He'll be okay, I think."

"Are you alright?"

"Yes. I wasn't prepared… he was a child."

Mai nodded, frowning. "That happens sometimes. Not all the time, but many times when he has those attacks, he reverts to a child."

"Poor Jared looked so shaken up."

"He's not used to this at all but we've seen him take care of Damien. He wants to learn and he will."

Daisy straightened up with determination. She didn't know where this thing was going to go with Damien's father, but she wanted to learn too regardless of where it might go.

Mai studied her face and then smiled. "I have some books on it, if you'd like to read them. When we get back to the city. They helped Sheera and myself greatly."

"Thank you, Mai! I would appreciate it."

"I think we should be thanking you. Not many people choose to get involved with things like this. It makes them uncomfortable and they turn a blind eye and I think Damien can feel that. I think it affects him."

"But he's been so sweet to me. I couldn't turn a blind eye if I wanted to."

She and Mai turned down the corridor to head downstairs. Mai laughed. "He's sweet to you because he likes you; because he loves Shane. He's not so sweet to others. Very much like his father, yes?"

Daisy laughed. "Yes, I suppose so."

* * *

"I got you a present," Damien whispered against Jared's neck.

Jared took the hand pressed against his chest and entwined their fingers. "Just one?" he smiled when Damien grinned against his t-shirt.

"Of course not. But one main one." Damien pulled his head back to look at Jared's face. His eyes were back to normal. That shaking had stopped as well. "Sorry I hit you."

"You didn't know what you were doing."

"Don't make excuses for me, Jared."

"I'm shocked you're apologizing at all."

"Sorry I broke your computer too." Jared frowned and Damien laughed. "We're on vacation. What do you need it for anyway?"

"There are files I'll need when we get back."

"Caleb can extract them for you."

"Suppose. Where's my present, princess?"

Damien popped away and ran to the closet. Once he had disappeared inside, Jared blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. Fuck, but that had been intense. And he was seriously pissed at himself for blowing that up. He could have handled this episode better, but when Damien went back to being a small child, it was hard.

His lover pranced back into the room holding a midsized box, wrapped in Christmas paper. Jared eyed it. "Where were you hiding that?"

Damien just smiled and went to sit on the bed. He held the box in his lap and pat the space beside him. As Jared went to sit down, he eyed the box. Getting excited. It was big enough to hold a gun of some sort. Once he was seated, Damien handed the box over.

"Open it."

"I thought we were doing gifts tonight."

"Open it, bastard!"

Jared laughed and began to unwrap it. Once the paper was gone, he saw the box was a plain nondescript mailing box. It was taped up tight. Damien leaned back, reached under his pillow and produced a switchblade.

"No. No, Damien. You are not allowed to store sharp objects anywhere near or on the bed!"

"I wouldn't stab you, sweetie."

Jared half glared at him as he snatched the blade and commenced with opening the box. He then groaned. It was filled with those fucking peanuts. Damien snickered, knowing damn well he hated the things. Jared upended the box and dumped the contents onto the floor. Then he huffed. There was a smaller box inside. Too small for it to be a gun.

"I'm not about to give you a gun on Christmas. Geez."

"Didn't say anything."

"You made a noise and it was clear as day in your eyes. Gun jock."

Jared half grinned as he snatched the smaller box off the floor. It looked like a jewelry box. Long and thin. Could be a watch.

"Don't shake it," Damien warned when Jared was about to do just that.

"Shake it? Like I shook you last night?"

Damien flushed and cleared his throat, looking away. "S-so good," he stuttered out in a breathless whisper.

Jared's smirk was cocky as he opened the box. Inside lay a key with a key chain. Not a door key. A car key. He picked the key up and dropped the box, letting it fall to the floor. "Is this a joke?" he questioned, eyeing the keychain which had the word Audi printed on it.

"The Porsche didn't suit you. You know that, I know that. You've been eyeing this for a while but you're so frugal it would take you years before you broke down and bought another one. And white, hun? So not you."

"What is this?"

"The key to your brand new car! And when I say brand new, I mean brand new, bastard. It's not even being sold to the public yet."

Jared jumped up and ran for the window to look down amongst the snow at the vehicles. There were no shiny brand new cars. He looked at the key again. There was really only one Audi he'd been wanting. "Damien, is it an R8?"

Damien grinned in triumph upon hearing the bastard sort of breathless in excitement. He dropped back to his pillow, lacing his fingers behind his head. He then laughed when Jared hopped onto the bed right over him, staring down at him with bright excited eyes. Look at that. The cold blooded killer could get excited about something else aside from firearms.

"Princess, is it an R8? Where is it?"

"Yeah, it's an R8. V10 plus engine… don't know why I got it. You can't drive. It'll go to waste."

Jared leaned down and growled in his face. "You honestly believe that's the only way I know how to drive? I'll drive around so fast your clothes will come off without me having to touch a fucking thing! Where is it?"

Damien laughed. "I couldn't bring it here. You'll have to wait until we get home. It's at the mansion."

Jared groaned in misery and flopped to his back. Damien couldn't stop smiling. This was awesome. Jared acting like this.

"Do you at least have a picture?"

"Nope. Wanted you to suffer, bastard."

The man groaned again. Damien laughed and sat up, and then climbed over his lover. Raising a brow because the man's sweat pants were tented. "Nice. You haven't even heard the engine yet. That's an instant orgasm." Another groan. "Okay, okay. I did take a picture. Let me get my phone and I'll-" Jared hands flew up to his hair and jerked him back down and then proceeded to turn him into instant goo.

"Hmmm," was the only thing he could say when Jared released him. Though the man continued to hover over him.

"The first thing I will do in that car is to fuck you."

Damien smiled widely. "That's not very likely. No back seat."

"Princess, I can do anything."

"Now that I believe." Damien twisted around to locate his phone, which had been on the table he knocked over earlier. It wasn't too far from the bed so he shimmied over the edge a little and tried reaching for it. Didn't really feel like getting off the bed entirely. While he was trying his best to use the Force, he heard and felt Jared moving away. Moments later, hands roughly grabbed his hips and pulled him completely back on the bed before he could fall over the edge.

"So lazy," Jared murmured.

"I almost had it! The Force was working!"

Jared laughed and sat up, pulling Damien with him to sit on his lap. "Might as well give you this now since you started early." He handed Damien his present.

As Damien looked at the square box in his hand, he thought it funny neither of them had any intention of exchanging all their gifts in front of the others. The box was about the size of his hand and short. Damien frowned. It looked like a box watches come in.

"Open it before you decide you hate it."

The box itself was decorated so there was no paper. Damien had a suspicion Jared didn't know how to wrap presents. Before he opened it, he leaned forward, brushing their lips together. "I don't care what it is."

Jared laughed against his lips. "You're a liar." Damien halfway pouted and Jared bit that lip. "Open it," he demanded.

Damien shifted happily in his lap. When he opened the box, he gasped in delight. Nestled on a crimson bed in a circle was the diamond, onyx, and ruby bracelet he had wanted. He thought Jared forgot about it or just plain out refused to buy it for him.

"This is the one, right? The one you were staring at for way too long in the window? The one that will go perfectly with eight of your outfits?"

"Only seven, but yes!"

Jared took the box from him and pulled out the bracelet. Damien dutifully held out his wrist when he was told and watched him clasp the bracelet around his wrist.

Damien's eyes were so bright as he studied the bracelet around his wrist. "So pretty," he whispered, entranced. Jared laughed and then went right back to snogging him.

* * *

As they drove into town, Shane was so tense he felt like he might explode. The silence was awful. He was so tense that when Shrod finally spoke, he jumped.

"So, Shane…"

"Sir?"

"If I were to give you any type of expensive present, would you consider that a bribe?"

"A bribe for what?"

"Don't be coy, boy."

"I'm not the type of person you would bribe, so no. Because you already know that wouldn't work on me."

"So you would accept it as it's meant to be? A present and nothing more."

Shane twisted around to look at him. "You got me a present?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I've been kind of rude to you."

"It's understandable."

Shane went back to looking out the window. "You like my mom, huh?"

"Yes."

"She's not just… temporary amusement?"

"That would be a waste of time and I never have time to waste."

Shane couldn't say anything to that since it was true. He didn't know what to say, so he stayed quiet. Frowning. Maybe he was being sort of a brat in this situation.

"The thing is, Shane. Your mother has expressed displeasure in the way you and Tony live. You haven't been able to work, therefore have no income coming in, and nearly the entirety of Tony's income goes into his Grad program since he's not on scholarship as you are. I'm invested in the both of you whether you want me to be or not. I'm invested in all of you. Not just for my son's future as the head of Shrod."

Shane looked at the man in confusion. He wasn't exactly sure where this was going and Shrod didn't explain further.

"What do you mean? How is my mom displeased? She's totally fine with me and Tony living together. She said so."

"That's not what I mean. It will be made clear soon enough."

"O-kay… You're pretty spry for an old guy on this ice and snow." He laughed outright at the narrowed look shot his way.

"It is true. You really are a smart ass brat sometimes."

Shane grinned widely. "Guess so."

They made it to Main Street where most of the businesses were located. "Um… would it make me an awful person to admit I like friends who have a shit load of money?"

Shrod laughed. "Only if you were a shallow conceited brat already, which you are not. Why?"

"I never said but thanks for paying my medical bills," he returned. "That would have wiped Mom out."

Shrod cleared his throat. "You're alive and well. That's the only thanks I need."

"You're really weird. I don't get you."

Shrod pulled over to the curb right next to a turn in that would lead to a back alley parking lot. They were next to an establishment called Rachel's Delights. He then leaned forward, draping arms over the steering wheel and turned to look at Shane. The man didn't look all that old, despite several people always calling him old man. Shrod was only in his mid forties, having had Damien at a young age. It's probably why he'd been taken in so easily by Marissa when the man's father had still been alive and in charge. And it was also clear Shrod kept himself in top form, probably also because he didn't want to go out like his father. Shrod had learned from his father's accomplishments and his mistakes.

"Not many people have the nerve to speak their mind to me."

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize, Shane. It's what I want from you. From those who actually mean something to me. And it's not only because your mom and I are seeing each other. I like you, kid. And not just because of your relationship with Damien and Tony. With the others…"

Shane cleared his throat and made the motion of moving strands of hair away from his face before realizing nothing was there anymore. "Um."

Shrod snorted.

"I'm not a kid."

"No. I guess not. Not anymore." Shrod went back to studying him. "You handled yourself well."

"I wasn't about to let that guy kill Tony," Shane hissed out. "I had to do it! There wasn't any other way!"

"Stop justifying yourself," Shrod snapped. "You did what you had to and Shane, she tried to take you. Be prepared and know you'll probably have to do it again. Worst mistake of my life!" Shrod burst out.

Shane's eyes widened slightly. "Hey, you were young. Around twenty years old. Just getting into the scene. She was a gold digger, right? Set her sights on you right from the start. I bet she studied you, your father. Knew exactly how to be… Jared says she's a true psychopath. She probably got pregnant as fast as she could too. I bet she was pregnant before you were even married, am I right?"

"That's not documented. Christ, you are clever."

Shane grinned. "You and mom definitely have that in common. Except, you know. You weren't the one pregnant… wow," Shane whispered, just catching up to what he had just said to Damien Shrod the Second. Just catching up to the entire conversation.

"So tell me," Shrod started in amusement as he pulled off the brake and began to ease the truck around the corner, aiming for the back parking lot. "You and Tony didn't-"

"Don't go around there, Shrod!"

Shrod slightly glared at him, but he did stop the truck. "What's the problem?"

"Um, hello! That's a great place to be ambushed! This is something you've been doing for years, right? Don't park down there!"

Shrod blinked at him. Several times. And then he smiled widely and put the truck in park. "You've just earned yourself a promotion."

"Fuck, man," Shane hissed as he opened the door. "I've got a gun on me but I don't want to fucking use it again."

Shrod was still smiling as he watched the young man exit the vehicle. He then laughed outright when Shane slipped on some ice and nearly tumbled on his ass. Shane rounded the truck with a glare and waited for him to get out, eyeing the nondescript black car parked a few yards away with three guys sitting inside. "So when we get back to the city, should I expect to see someone tailing me?"

"Yes. At least one person." Shane huffed in annoyance as Shrod walked to a darkened door and knocked on it. "Deal with it."

Shane clenched his teeth together. He didn't want to snap at the man when he had a whole drive back alone with him. Besides, it had kind of been nice. The talk.

Shrod raised a hand and waved at someone inside the store. But instead of going inside, he turned to Shane. "You and Tony. You're not really exchanging gifts, are you?"

"We… Not really. Like you said, I'm not working and Tony spent most of his spending cash on this trip." Shane brightened then. "But I had enough saved up and was able to make him something."

Shrod smirked to himself. Tony spent most of his money on an engagement ring.

"I don't know if he'll like it though."

"He'll like it. Don't worry about that."

"How do you know? You don't even know what it is?"

"The fact that you made it will make all the difference. Some sort of jewelry right? I saw the box you put under the tree."

"Um yeah. My friend Stella helped me."

"She's the girl who works with Sheera? Dark red blond hair?"

Shane slightly narrowed his eyes. "Yeah. How do you know her?"

Shrod pushed open the door and stepped inside. "I was there when she and two others came to visit you at the hospital."

"She's super sweet! And Connor and Mimi are awesome! They helped me out big time when I returned to school after the stabbing."

_He said that so nonchalantly_ , Shrod thought as he walked by rows of tables and chairs and towards the back where a long counter was set up.

Shane inhaled deeply. "This place smells delicious!"

"Well thank you," the woman behind the counter exclaimed, beaming at him. "And hello, Damien! Great to see you again."

"Hello, Rachel. Had a good year?"

The woman's smile grew wider as she hurried around the counter to stand in front of them. "Two new grandbabies! What do you think?"

Shrod laughed. "What's that now? Ten?"

"Eleven!" she announced proudly. "They'll all be here later in the afternoon."

"My security didn't give you too much trouble did they?"

She waved that away. "You know I don't mind them. They're always real respectful. Don't mess anything up. Real nice guys and ladies."

"Good."

"Guess it helps that I feed them."

"Yes, that'll do it. Rachel, this is Shane. He's helping me cart breakfast back."

Shane gave a little wave. "Hi."

"Well aren't you sweet!" She turned to Shrod. "Damien finally settle down?"

Shane wrinkled his nose. Shrod laughed. "This one's Tony's."

The woman turned wide eyes on Shane. "Nu uh! Get out!"

"Afraid so."

Rachel tisked. "And I had my heart set on that Italian Stallion." She sighed. "Oh well. I'm surprised. Didn't take Tony for… that."

"Don't judge a book by its cover," Shane ground out.

"Oh, and snippy too!" Rachel grinned at him. "Cute."

"He is. He really is. Snippy."

Since they were talking like he wasn't really there, Shane couldn't help but say, "Shrod's dating my mom."

The woman's eyes went wide. "Really? Shrod, really? What's it been? Ten years since you've been with a woman?! Do you even remember how it goes?"

The man cleared his throat and Shane laughed. On top of that he could tell these two had a good relationship. They were friends. They spent more time after just chatting and Shane spent the time looking at all the Christmas decorations. He moved back over to them when Shrod called him back to place four white boxes in his arms. There were five others sitting on top of the counter.

"Hey, Shrod, you send your boy here before you all head back. I've missed him."

"Promise. He's doing much better," Shrod confessed and he set a fat white envelope on the counter before pulling the rest of the boxes into his arms.

"Yeah? Great to hear, doll." Rachel picked up the envelope and tapped it on her counter. "I've told you over and over again, you're not the only one I open up for on Christmas morning."

"You deserve that, Rachel. Take it and go spoil your grandchildren."

"Thank you, Damien."

"Have a good Christmas."

"You too. Nice to meet you, Shane."

Shane threw a smile over his shoulder at her as he followed Shrod out.

"What is it with you and this place? It's almost like… did you used to live here?"

"I was born about thirty miles down the road. This town wasn't here back then."

Shane sensed that was all he was going to get about that, so he let it go and help Shrod put the boxes into the back seat. Whatever was in those boxes had his mouth watering.

"She was nice."

"She's had that shop for nearly twenty years. Her cooking and baking only gets better with time."

"Has it really been ten years for you?"

"Get into the damn truck," Shrod snapped and Shane snickered as he followed that order.

The drive back to the lodge was less tense. Less tense for Shane anyway, and he probably spent too much time sending knowing smirks Shrod's way, which had the old man clearing his throat almost constantly before he snapped at Shane. He told Shane to quit it with the fucking looks. Those exact words. Shane liked that Shrod didn't hold back with him.

When Shrod's phone started going off, Shane expected he would answer it. Instead the man grabbed it from his coat pocket and tossed it to him before returning both hands to the wheel.

"Answer it."

Shane studied the phone. _Daisy_ was on the screen with a picture of his mom. "That's cute."

"Answer the goddamn phone."

Shane snickered. "Hello?"

" _Shane? Hi, baby. Can you put Damien on?"_

"He's driving. Told me to answer it. What's up?"

Daisy hesitated a moment before sighing. _"Well… Damien had a nightmare which led to another attack a little while ago. Just thought to let ya'll know. He's alright now. But…"_

"Got it. I'll tell him."

" _Thanks, honey."_

"We're on our way back. We'll be there soon… if the old man doesn't slip up and crash."

"You're asking for it," Shrod growled.

Daisy must have heard that because she laughed. _"You guys doing alright?"_

Shane sighed in defeat. "Yeah, Mom. We're doing good."

" _Okay. Love you."_

"Love you too."

"Tell me what?" Shrod asked the moment he pulled the phone from his ear.

"Damien had another panic attack. Came from a nightmare. Mom says he's okay now though." He noticed Shrod's hands tightening around the steering wheel. The look on the man's face was murderous. No doubt he was thinking of that woman. "You know we're going to take care of it, right? And Damien's not just going to be a victim this time. He's going to get involved and I'm pretty sure that's going to make all the difference. I was reading this psychology book not long ago and it said once victims stand up to the reason why they're victims, the trauma scars lessen considerably. He hasn't really ever stood up to her, has he? To what happened to him? The worst scars are in the mind. But he's strong and now instead of being scared, he's mostly angry. That's going to help."

"It won't help if he loses it in the wrong place."

Shane nodded. "But that's why we're here. That's why you're investing in us. To make sure we stay close because we love Damien and want to protect him from himself."

Shrod glanced at him and nodded.

Shane looked at the window, biting the inside of his cheek. "It's probably not my place to say, but I don't think his therapist helps at all." He turned back to study Shrod's profile. "Damien's told me she has him do these stupid mind exercises that don't help at all. Meditating is all well and good on occasion, but all the time? She also wants him to talk about you all the time, and you're not really the main reason why he needs therapy. It's his mom, but his therapist never really gets into it about that."

"How do you know that?"

Shane shrugged. "He told me. We talk about it."

"He's never going to heal," Shrod murmured.

"Not completely but no one's perfect."

Shrod remained stony faced the rest of the way and Shane knew he was deep in thought. When they parked and Shane made to get out of the truck, Shrod grabbed his arm.

"I can see how it was so easy for Sheera to form a relationship with you, even when you were little. You're easy to talk to. You're also smart and not abrasive about it. Your mom raised you well."

Shane nodded. "I give her all the credit."

"Good."

Shrod then let go of him and opened his door to jump out. The man slipped and fell on his ass. Shane ran around the truck to make sure he wasn't hurt. When it was clear Shrod wasn't hurt, he then laughed so hard his stomach started to cramp. He laughed so loud people came out to see what all the noise was about. Daisy and Mai were the first. They shot over to Shrod to help him up.

"That's right. Help the old man up. Won't be able to do it by himself."

Daisy shot her son a look. "Shane!"

Shane was still laughing as he shot into the lodge because Shrod looked as if he were preparing to beat him to death.

"What's all the noise?"

Shane looked to his right where the long rounded couch was. Damien and Jared were sitting there, snuggled up together. Or at least Damien was snuggled up on his lover's lap. Shane would have had to be blind to miss the piece of bling on the Shrod heir's wrist. Jared wasn't paying attention to anything but the phone in his hands, groaning every so often as he flicked through pictures. Damien smiled smugly.

"Your dad just fell. He slipped on ice or something. Funniest damn thing I've ever seen." He sobered just slightly, noticed only Jake, Damien, and Jared were out. In the main den at least. He could hear people off in the smaller den. He caught sight of Caleb in the kitchen drinking coffee. "Tony still sleeping?"

"Course, hun."

"You alright, Damien?"

"Yeah. I'm perfect," he replied, dropping his head back under Jared's chin, who didn't do anything but move the phone over since Damien's head blocked the way.

"I'll go wake Tony up. Breakfast's here."

"Don't be too rough," Damien called.

Shane smirked back at him. "He likes it rough."

"Not something I want to hear, Shane," replied Daisy as she walked back in.

Shane grimaced and raced upstairs without turning to look at his mom.

* * *

Just after the delicious breakfast had been consumed, everyone split up to do different things. Surprisingly Damien chose to exchange his snowboard in for his ski's and announced he was going skiing with Ms. D and his dad. And because Ryuu had arrived and it was clear he was sticking with Mai on the slopes, Caleb decided to hang with Tony and Shane, and Jared joined those three. Again, no one was surprised when Sheera and Jake went off together. Rose and Rich also went up to ski, but the others decided to explore the town and maybe go ice skating. Kimiko wanted to stick with Matilda.

" _I didn't chase him off,"_ Ryuu told his sister upon the hundredth time she'd shot him that particular look. They were at the top of a black diamond run. _"Just proves me right. He's a fucking spineless pig."_

" _Brother. You're an ass. And you didn't chase him off. He's letting us have time together. He gets me for the rest of his life. He knows how to share."_

Upon Ryuu's annoyed hiss, Mai grinned, pulled down her glasses and pushed off. It took them some time to get down to the bottom, but by then they were both smiling and enjoyed the exhilarating rush.

"That was good," Ryuu said. "Let's do it again."

"I've missed you, _Ani_."

"Come back."

Mai sighed. "Why must you always do this? Why can't you just relax and let things be? This is the way it is. Mother and I live here. We're happy here. Should you and grandfather need my help, of course I'll go home and help, but then I shall return here."

Ryuu smirked. "So you still do consider it home?"

Mai shrieked in frustration, "you are impossible!" and a guy sitting on a bench a few yards away laughed out loud as he studied something on the screen of his cell phone.

A border came up and skidded to a halt in front of them, spraying snow all over Ryuu's legs. "Hey, baby. Having fun yet?"

Mai smiled and raised on her toes, accepting the kiss Caleb dropped on her. "Sort of. What's going on? Where's Tony and Shane?"

"Somewhere. They're pretty damn disgusting. Acting like they're newlyweds and everything. Good thing we're not like that, huh?" he shuddered in feigned disgust, earning a sweet laugh from Mai.

Ryuu glared down at his pants before transferring that glare to the tall black man murmuring mushy stuff against his sister's lips. Clearly Caleb wasn't as afraid of him as he first thought. Ryuu unhooked his skis and looked around. He saw the two in question sitting in the snow not far from a refreshment booth and at the booth Newton appeared to buying something.

Ryuu spun around and stomped over to the closest bench. To sit next to the guy on his cell phone. "Is this what you do all day?"

Billy grinned but he didn't take his eyes off his device. "Pretty much. Not my thing. Snow."

"You are sitting way over here. How did you hear what my sister and I were talking about?"

"Surprisingly good observation skills, Toyama." Billy lifted his phone and then tapped his ear. Ryuu shifted so that he could see. Something nearly transparent was tucked into the man's ear. Billy rolled his eyes. "Don't make it too obvious, Yakuza. You have no sort of surveillance training, do you? You really shouldn't be over here talking to me."

"No one is paying attention."

"Dec is. Jared, I mean."

Ryuu glanced over. Jared had joined Caleb and Mai. He didn't look like he was paying any attention.

"He's always paying attention. Look," Billy stood. "When out in the open, stay away from me. She doesn't need to know I'm working with you lot. Don't make me threaten you with my big knife again."

"Compensating for something?"

Billy shook his head and tried hiding the smile that was nearly bigger than his face. "Really funny, wanker."

"You said she was gone."

"I'm not always one hundred percent right."

From the corner of his eye, Ryuu watched the guy walk away and then disappear. Mai then appeared in front of him. "Ready to go again?"

Ryuu nodded and strapped his skis back on. The others had already gone off.

" _Ani_ …"

"I will stop. For now."

* * *

 

Just up the mountain, Shrod was standing back watching his son in amusement and a bit of shock.

"Ms. D! You can't go that fast. What if you fall?! Daddy, make her stop!"

"Daisy seems to know what she's doing, son," Shrod replied.

Daisy smiled at the younger Shrod who had his hands plastered on her shoulders. "I do know how to ski. I learned with my sister. Our parents taught us."

"Yeah but…"

"Damien. You lead. I'll go at your pace."

It wasn't like they were on an expert trail. It was intermediate and Daisy did know what she was doing. Shrod trailed them, watching. Jared had filled him in on this latest episode of Damien's. Told him about Daisy's involvement. She hadn't said anything about it. He was uncertain as to why but it seemed to have drawn Damien closer to her. It had only been a few hours and already Damien counted five times when his son hugged Daisy for no reason. He didn't know what was said or done in the bathroom and neither did Jared, but whatever had gone on, it seemed to have made a drastic impact on Damien. He suspected Daisy was the reason Damien decided to join them instead of Jared and his friends.

Ahead of them, Damien glanced at Daisy as they were slowing due to it being the bottom of the run. "So, Ms. D? Why haven't you slept with Daddy yet?"

She nearly fell. "Damien! I can't speak to you about that?" she hissed out, her face flushing. She thought Damien would leave it alone, since he didn't say anything else about it. But the moment they were on the bottom Shrod asked if they wanted something to drink and Damien exclaimed that he would love a hot chocolate and so would Ms. D. He grabbed her arm and dragged her to one of the tables set up outside. And then he commenced his attack.

"Why not? I can tell you want to. What's the problem?"

"The problem is your father. He doesn't seem to want me like that. Let's leave it at that, shall we?"

"Ms. D, seriously?"

Daisy frowned and looked away. "I really don't want to talk about this."

"He's rusty. You're going to have to do it."

"Do what?"

"Seduce Daddy of course."

Daisy sputtered and Damien grinned at her. From behind he heard familiar laughter and an almost inaudible, "blimey, this lot is great! Can see why he wants to stick around!" He turned around to see a guy sitting crossed legged on a bench, apparently enthralled with his cell phone. The guy didn't lift his face, but he did flick his eyes up to meet Damien's. He sent the Shrod heir a sexy smirk. Damien returned it before turning back to Daisy, thinking Irish guys had to be the hottest damn men on the planet.

"It'll be fun!"

"What are you two whispering about?" Shrod asked as he placed a drink holder containing three cups of hot chocolate in the middle.

Daisy jumped. "Nothing!"

Damien grabbed his drink, hiding his grin as he blew into the cup. He then leaned over and whispered, "I'll help you."

"Um…"

"With Sheera's help, of course."

"Stop it."

"I'm going to buy you a shit load of lingerie, Ms. D."

"Damien!"

Again he heard the laughter but he didn't think it would be wise to turn around and look a second time.

"Son, whatever you're doing, stop it," Shrod instructed, eyeing the rising flush on Daisy's face.

Damien nodded, though he had one more thing to say. He leaned in real close to her ear. "Hey, I just gave you the thumbs up. You need to dig right in. Daddy needs a good fuck, lovemaking session… whatever."

Billy's laughter was uncontrollable. "Honestly? Jesus! This bloke!"

Damien raised his hands when his father half way rose from his seat. "Okay, I'm done. No need to look so mad, Daddy. We're just talking." Damien wrapped an arm around Ms. D's shoulders and hugged her. She was just shaking her head.

Damien then pulled out his phone when he felt it vibrate. **Nice piece of cutlery you've got on there. Dec give it to you?**

"Thank you, and yes he did."

**Nice. Don't do it, sweetheart. Don't turn around and look again.**

Damien grinned. "You flirting with me again?"

**Maybe.**

"I should probably tell Jared."

**Nah. You don't want to do that. He's liable to smash my face flat.**

"That would be a shame. You've got a nice one."

**A supreme compliment coming from the likes of you. Tell me my face is better than his.**

Damien laughed. "Sorry. Can't do that. Jared's a thirty. You're a twenty-five."

**Not nice!**

"Hey this is on a scale from one to ten, so…"

**Fine. I can accept that.**

"It must be the celt ancestry."

**Sweetheart, you might want to look at your table mates now.**

Damien pulled his eyes away from his phone, and then laughed. Ms. D and his Dad were staring at him. They both seemed supremely bothered. "Um."

Shrod rubbed his hands over his face. He looked kind of panicked. "Damien. Son… you would tell me if you were hearing voices, right? Are you hearing voices… in your head?"

Damien sighed and rolled his eyes. "Daddy, I'm not that insane." He then raised his phone so that his father could see the text messages he was getting. "It's Billy." He then forgot himself and turned to gesture to the guy on the bench, only Billy wasn't there anymore. He turned back to them. "I swear he was just there."

Shrod blew out a breath and laughed in relief. "No, I believe you."

"But how was he hearing you?" Daisy inquired, studying the one sided text conversation.

"Caleb said the guy has all sorts of cool spy tools. And I know he was eavesdropping on our earlier discussion, Ms. D."

"Great," she muttered.

* * *

"Babe, I didn't really get you a Christmas present."

"No, it's cool, dude. This whole trip is a Christmas present."

Tony knew he was going to say that. And he wished he could tell the truth. That he had gotten him a Christmas present but was unable to give it to him yet and he wished Caleb had told him about asking Mai before they left the city. Then he could have scrounged some sort of gift up instead of standing there in front of Shane while baby boy was holding a gift out to him and he didn't have anything in return.

"You two, follow me," Shrod ordered as he passed them and headed down the hallway to the smaller sitting room.

"But I'm trying to give Tony my present," Shane ground out.

"You can do it in here."

He wasn't about to do that. Not while Shrod was in there with them. Tony didn't say anything on the contrary. Like he didn't want the present. That was clear since Shane had been trying to get the ass to take it from him for five minutes before Shrod showed up.

Shane walked across the room and dropped down into a single chair, slightly ticked off. Tony glanced at him in worry as he took the closest seat to him but Shane studiously ignored him. He was more focused on the two boxes Shrod placed on the table in front of them. He recognized them as two of the small gift boxes he'd placed under the tree that morning.

Shrod pulled up a chair on the other side of the table and studied the two, feeling the need to laugh at them. Shane was pissed Tony didn't want to touch his present and Tony was annoyed he didn't have a present for Shane, which is exactly why he didn't want to take Shane's gift, because he felt guilty.

"I feel the need to explain some things before I let you open these." The both of them scooted to the edge of their seats. "I'm doing this… I'm doing this to take care of you at the moment. I'm not doing this to trap you, or to make you two feel trapped. This is something I need to make absolutely clear. This isn't something I came up with in the span of a second, you understand. I've had a couple of months to think about it.

"Should you wish to decline, this is also an option. I will not hold it against either of you."

"Why are you so worried about our reactions to these gifts?"

"I might have gone overboard this Christmas, but I don't much care."

Upon this announcement, Tony perked up. He knew what overboard meant for Shrod. The man shook his head at him. "I'm saying all this mostly for Shane's benefit. Tony, you've worked for me since your freshman year. You're about to start an internship at one of my facilities to finish off your Grad program. One internship out of hundreds that I have around the world. You've already signed a contract with me, to work for me after this internship if you prove yourself. Did you do this out of obligation?"

"No. It's my life. I didn't do it for Damien either. I appreciate the help you've given me and my mother, but I would never sign with you for that."

"Why did you?"

"I studied so many companies, so many university programs. I looked at all my choices. Your company has the resources and gives a certain amount of freedom. Your company provides an infinite number of choices. From simple pharmaceuticals all the way to a space program."

"You have a space program?" Shane asked excitedly.

Both Shrod and Tony looked at him. "Yeah." They said it as if to say, 'duh.'

"Well I didn't know that. That's cool, man! Is space transport something you're working on?"

"Yeah." Again with that same tone.

Shane frowned at them.

"Look," Tony went on. "The point is, I don't feel like I signed my soul away to the devil. I made the choice on my own to give Shrod my all. That's what you're trying to get at, right?" he asked Shrod.

Shrod nodded.

"Why do you want me to know this?"

"I don't want you to feel trapped, Shane. I don't want you to feel like I'm trying to pressure you into a decision either. Consider me a life gardener. I see something with vast potential. I'm trying to give you the best resources to develop. I've done this with others. Other people who have nothing to do with my company."

"This has to do with what we were talking about earlier in the truck."

"Yes. Now open the damn boxes."

Shane leaned over. "We should give him some wine. He's way too tense."

Tony snorted and shook his head. "You open that one," he gestured to the one in front of Shane. "I'll open this one."

Just as Shane reached for the box, Shrod jerked forward and switched them. "I got you a house and you a truck!" he snapped before they could even touch them. "I expect you to share."

"You did what?" Tony sputtered. Shane could do nothing but sit there with his mouth open. Shrod had pointed to him when he said house.

"I'm fucking tired of seeing your POS sputtering up the goddamn driveway, Tony! Your shit has broken down five times in the last six months."

"And I fix her up! She's fine!"

Shane pulled out of his shock just enough to look at his boyfriend like he was insane.

"I'm pretty sure Shane hates getting into that car."

"No way. The car doesn't matt-"

"Yeah. He's right. I hate getting into that car."

Shrod smirked, leaned back, and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I love you, I do," Shane defended when Tony glared at him, "but that car is embarrassing and I'm gay enough to say eww."

"So I got you the truck you've been wanting since you were twenty. A Christmas and pre-graduation present. You want it or not?"

Tony pulled his semi-glare away from Shane and grabbed the box. "I want it." He opened it and took out the key. Fisted it and looked to the floor. His knee was jumping.

"Now could you repeat the part about getting us a house?"

"Don't get that look, boy. I already had the property. Bought and paid for. Just giving it to you is all. Until you two feel you've outgrown it. It's nothing too big. Perfect for the two of you and where you are right now. It's walking distance to the University and your jobs are just a stone's throw more away. When we get back to the city, go have a look at it. You don't like it? That's fine. You don't have to take it.

"If it makes you feel better, I bought a condo for Sheera and another for Caleb and Mai. It's about time that girl gets her own damn place."

"This can't be for real, Shrod. Why would you?"

"I've already told you." Shrod stood and headed for the door. "I expect you to think about it before you decide not to accept."

"Hey, I accept!" Tony exclaimed. "Shrod! Thank you!"

Shrod kept walking.

Shane was staring at the keys in his own hand. Frowning at them. And then Tony reached over and grabbed the keys. He shoved those into a box, along with the truck key and placed the lid back on.

"We can talk about the house later."

Shane stood on shaky legs, tried to keep his dumb ass gift for Tony out of sight. "Yeah. Good idea." He shot straight for the door. "You want something to drink? I'm gonna get something to drink."

He was gone before Tony could answer, but the man had seen the gift box clutched tightly in his hand. Saw the way Shane was trying to hide it. He wanted to see it. He wanted Shane's gift, but he knew going after it now would make him a total asshole.

* * *

A/N: Another chap done! This one turned out to be long. Hope you enjoyed. Don't forget to review either way. Have a great day! :D


	31. Episode Thirty-One

**The Sage Haze**

**Episode Thirty-One**

Several days passed. The Shrod group spent their days on the slopes, at or around the lodge. In the town. It was an enjoyable time for everyone. Nothing bad happened. No strange occurrences and Damien didn't have another nightmare during that time. Two days after Christmas, all those who had arrived on Christmas Eve had to return home due to work or other obligations. It was disappointing, but everyone was just happy to have been able to spend those couple of days together.

Tony was still angry and disappointed at himself for hurting Shane, for not taking baby boy's gift when he had the chance and he knew he would have to wait until Shane gave it over to him, if he ever did. Shane didn't seem to be holding it against him. And if he was, he was hiding it really well.

"It really was a dumb ass move," Caleb told him when he'd grumbled about it again. The two were alone up at the Vista Haus grabbing a bite to eat. It was New Years Eve and the winter holiday was almost over. They would be leaving the following afternoon.

Tony nodded. "I panicked. I have a gift. Just… can't give it to him yet."

"Sorry, dude. Guess I should have warned you."

"No way, Caleb. I could have asked before we got here. Just never thought to."

Caleb snorted and shook his head in wonder.

"What?"

"You, man. Before Shane you would never have thought that way."

Tony grinned. "He's good for me."

"No doubt. And you know what? I can't wait to see that ring on his finger."

Tony stared at him and saw Caleb absolutely meant that. "So you won't mind? If we're engaged at the same time?"

"Hell no! Just as long as the weddings aren't in the same month."

"I'm doing it the week after his birthday."

"Why not on?"

"I don't know. Thinking it's too cliché."

"I proposed on Christmas Eve. Don't insult me."

Tony laughed. "And you're not even gay."

"Right!"

"Why didn't your brother and sister come up with your mom? I know Shrod would have paid out for them too."

Caleb rolled his eyes. "Eddie says he didn't want to hang with us. We're not cool enough apparently." Tony laughed. "That and he has his eyes set on this girl so he's spending the break trying to get with her. Sara's got her dude and decided to stay at the house to look after Eddie."

They were quiet for a short time, looking out of the window and finishing their lunch. When they were done, Tony leaned back, eyes sweeping around the Haus. He caught sight of at least two Shrod Sec. "It's weird. Haven't seen much of Ryuu's boys. Billy either. Haven't seen him at all since Christmas."

"Not trying to sound racist or anything but if all Toyama's guys start coming out on the slopes, people are going to notice. Not many Asians here, ya know. And most of them aren't exactly clean cut. Not like Toyama when he wants to be."

"True."

"Billy I don't know. Bet he's around though. Guy is super sweet when it comes to shadowing. Knows his damn stuff."

"What kind of life is that though? Being alone all the time?" Tony couldn't imagine it. "Guess Jared got tired of it."

"Their stories might be different. I think Jared was given more opportunities when he was younger and being trained," Caleb murmured. "Plus he found the right people. He knows we'd never stab him in the back. Never out him. That's given him the chance and freedom to let go. To get close to people."

Tony nodded. "Damien would kill someone over that."

Caleb grinned widely. "Damn straight. It's awesome, right?"

"Yeah. They're good."

"You ready to go back out?"

Tony blew out a breath and then swiped a hand through his hair. "Yeah. Sure."

He didn't sound all that enthused. Caleb leaned forward and studied him with narrowed eyes. "Man, you aren't actually trying to avoid him, are you?" he asked in dawning surprise. Tony winced. "You are! Shit. I thought maybe, but then I shrugged it off. But you are! You're seriously feeling that guilty?"

"Caleb, you should have seen his face. Especially after Shrod gave us those presents. And since then he's just been… really polite to me. He hasn't called me asshole once since then! It's fucking awful! We've hardly even touched, but that's mostly my fault…"

"It's you. You're doing it. You're being the awkward one."

"Yeah."

"Man up, dude! You don't want the trip to end like this."

"No. He scares me sometimes," confessed Tony.

Caleb grinned widely and nodded. "That's love."

They eventually got up and headed outside. As they were putting their jackets back on, Caleb eyed him. "That's not the only reason why you're feeling guilty though, is it?"

"There's Mai again. Rubbing off on you. That's gonna get annoying."

Caleb snorted. They didn't speak again till they were on a chair lift headed to the top of the mountain. "Well?" Caleb demanded.

"This whole situation. He had to kill a guy, Caleb. He had to kill someone for me…."

"Fuck that, Tony! Shane had to do that because of Marissa. If you weren't there he still would have had to do it! Don't go feeling guilty over that."

"I'm the one who had the gun."

"Exactly, man! If you weren't there, think about what would have happened!"

"I try not to think about that."

Caleb nodded. "Shane's okay. It's life changing, yeah, but… he's still an awesome little man."

Tony laughed. "You make him sound like a baby."

Caleb shrugged. "It's not like I see him as one but he is the baby in the group. That's never gonna change unless we adopt someone else into our fold who's younger."

"He's grown about two inches since we met him. His forehead is at eyelevel now. I don't think Sheera's noticed he's about to catch up to her."

"Has he noticed?"

"Yeah. Sort of." Tony laughed. "He was complaining about his pants shrinking in the wash."

"He'll have another growth spurt. Late bloomer. Not common, but not rare either. Especially since he keeps in really good shape. I had a couple around his age."

"Didn't you just. How you manage to function is beyond me."

"Ha ha. Don't hate, Tony."

Once at the top, they debated on which run to go down. Before taking off Caleb nudged him. "Just go ahead and do it now. Baby and I won't mind."

"Thanks but I've already fucked up the timing here. I've gotten used to the fact I'll have to wait."

"So how are you going to do it?"

"Don't know. Nothing like you did. Nothing… mushy."

"You're killing me, Tony."

"It's gonna be funny. Shane likes funny," he murmured staring down the steep trail. "Fuck this. I gotta make this right."

"Go take him ice skating." Tony looked at him like he was crazy. "What? Ice skating is fun. Mai and I have been a couple of times. You can't tell me Shane wouldn't enjoy that."

"Yeah, but…"

"Tell you what. We'll come with you."

"Okay. Fine."

Caleb smirked as he directed his board down the hill. "That way I can laugh when you fall on

your ass."

"Fucker!" Tony shouted as he raced down after him.

* * *

"Does your tattoo cover your whole body? It's all colored, right? How long did it take? Did it hurt?"

Ryuu glanced from the corner of his eye at his sister, who was grinning widely. He turned to Shane who was keeping in step on his other side and asking him a million and one questions about the yakuza. The smile was throwing him. It was open and unguarded and really excitable. Hardly anyone ever smiled at him like that. Knowing exactly who he was, people tended to remain on their guard.

"Partly. Yes. A few years. The first couple of times but not very much now."

"Have you killed people?"

Ryuu turned back to his sister. She nodded that he could answer truthfully if he wanted. "Yes."

"You don't speak and act like this usually, do you? Not all proper. You're a gangster, so…"

"You're right, Shane. He's not really like this," Mai murmured in amusement. "He's putting on a front. Well… mostly."

"I heard it's been hard on the yakuza the last decade. People aren't as accepting."

"It depends on where you are," Ryuu answered. "We have had to be… inventive in our dealings, carving new ground." He turned to Mai. "Did I say that right?"

"Breaking new ground," Shane announced with another wide grin. "Sweet!"

" _Otouto-san_ is strange," Ryuu muttered to his sister.

" _This is why we love him, brother."_

"I understood that, Mai!"

Ryuu studied him intently again and then turned back to Mai. "It is no wonder Tony likes to play with him."

Shane frowned just slightly and Ryuu wished he'd picked his words better. "I do not mean… not as temporary… _Fuck_."

Shane then laughed. "I understood that too!"

" _What form of Japanese are you teaching him?"_

Mai smiled sweetly. "Our kind," she replied and Ryuu laughed.

Shane cleared his throat, looked at Ryuu. "Um… so I guess that means you don't have a problem with us… I mean, with gays."

Ryuu shrugged. "No. Makes no difference to me."

Mai giggled and Ryuu shot her a glare. Shane wondered what that was about. "That's really surprising."

"The world always turns and change is inevitable. People are more accepting now," Mai replied this while staring at her brother. There was a lot in those words.

Ryuu glance at her. "Hmm."

"Look out!"

Not a second later, someone bowled into Ryuu from behind. A snowboarder. Ryuu tumbled to the ground, but the snowboarder managed to stay on his board and kept right on going. "Sorry!"

He didn't sound sorry. Shane would have watched after him if he hadn't gotten a good look at Ryuu's face down there on the ground. The man looked severely ticked off. His features twisted in explosive anger and he looked like he wanted to get up and run after the guy to slit his throat.

"Ryuu, remember where you are."

Ryuu climbed to his feet. His eyes hadn't left the boarder, who had skidded to a halt several yards away and lifted his snow goggles. He sent a smirk at Ryuu before unclipping his board and then walking away.

" _Baka,"_ Ryuu hissed under his breath.

Mai snickered. "He must be terribly bored up here, having to watch us and stay in the shadows. Especially when it appears there's no more danger up here. He has to watch Jared have all the fun."

"Hmm." His violent face completely vanished. "I did not realize… his voice was different."

Mai smiled smugly. "I'm quicker than you."

" _Bull shit."_

"I understood that too!"

Ryuu laughed and turned to Shane. "Would you two like something to drink before we go back up?"

Both Shane and Mai nodded and all three headed for the closest café at base of the mountain. There were several around the base. They were closest to the one near the ice rink. They chose to sit out on the wooden patio which stretched around the café. While Mai and Shane chose a table, Ryuu said he would go in and purchase drinks.

"Will I ever get to see him? Like, his real self."

"Sure. Probably back in Allmsted. There they won't have to hide really at all."

"Cool."

"Shane?" she pierced him with a look. "You want to talk about it?"

The young man blew out a breath and then smiled at Mai. "There's nothing really to talk about. We're just being stupid. I guess I shouldn't have freaked out after Shrod's insane gifts. But all I got him was this stupid bracelet that I made and I couldn't… I couldn't give it to him after Shrod got him a freaking brand new truck."

"Honey…"

"And he wouldn't take it when I tried to give it to him before that, Mai. What's that about?"

"He doesn't have a gift for you."

"I don't care about that!" he burst out. "I really don't. Cause I get it. Money's tight for both of us. I'd rather he didn't get anything and save the little he makes. He works so much as it is and he's paying both our rents. He worked all that overtime and he really hasn't paid for much here. Not that he doesn't want to but fucking Damien is somehow always there and forces us to let him pay for everything."

"That's Damien."

"I know. He's awesome like that."

Mai wished she could blurt it out. Tell Shane the truth. Tell Shane his boyfriend had gotten him a beautiful ring. And she wished Tony would stop avoiding Shane due to his guilt. Boys were stupid sometimes.

Ryuu returned and placed drinks in front of them. When he sat down, he looked at Shane's downtrodden look. "What is wrong?" he demanded immediately. Mai had to hide a smile. Not even her brother could resist the charms of this guy. Shane really did have a super power. Anyone who got to know him immediately took a liking to him… well, most people. Some people were just evil. You can't reason with evil.

"Nothing," Shane answered. "Thanks for this." He raised his hot chocolate. "This stuff is amazing!"

Shane put down his cup, unzipped his coat and pulled his cell from one of the inside pockets. It must have been vibrating. He turned away slightly to answer. "Hey." A moment later a really soft smile lit his face. "Yeah... Hell yeah, dude! Let's do it!" And then the soft smile turned really dopey and sweet. "Yeah, I know it. Love you too, asshole… Uh," Shane twisted around, eyes roaming over the place. "Actually we're right by there. At the café by the pond… Okay, cool. No, I'm still with Mai and Ru-san…" Shane laughed. Mai lifted her hands to hide her wide smile when Ryuu turned to glare at her. Shane shot him a cheeky grin before putting all of attention back on Tony. "Yes, he's within hearing distance. Nah, no knife drawn or anything so I think I'm good…. You keep saying that but I don't think my eyes are that great, dude."

Ryuu turned halfway in his seat so he was facing away from Shane and leaned into his sister. _"That's permanent, huh?"_

" _Yep. Completely."_ She turned back to Shane when he put his cell phone away. "Tony?"

Shane practically bounced in his seat. "He's taking me ice skating! We're going now. We'll skate some before the party."

"Tony's taking you ice skating?" Mai asked in some surprise.

Shane nodded briskly. "What's with that look?"

Mai smiled. "Shane, he hates skating on ice. Hates it."

"Didn't know that. Why would he bring it up then?"

"He knows you've been wanting to."

Ryuu rolled his eyes at the sappy look appearing on the guys face again. "Almost disgusting," he muttered.

"Hey, do you have a knife on you?" Shane asked him curiously.

"Of course."

"Can I see it?"

Ryuu looked around before shrugging and pulling out his knife. It was sort of long. Longer than what Shane was expecting. Black handle and the blade was slightly curved in at the top and out at the bottom. The top was also partially serrated. The blade itself was about 6 inches long. There was something etched on the blade but he didn't understand it.

"Does this make you nervous?"

Shane flicked his eyes up to meet Ryuu's. "Why would it?"

"You were probably stabbed with a knife."

"Ryuu!"

The man shrugged and kept his eyes on Shane.

"Knives don't make me nervous. Especially considering I always carry one on me now."

"Yes? Let me see it."

Shane dug out his switchblade and passed it over. Ryuu frowned at it. "Jared gave it to me."

"This is… pathetic."

"Hey! Yours isn't that… okay, yeah it is. Can't lie. Yours looks pretty damn sweet… and dangerous."

Ryuu smirked at him. "It belonged to my father."

"Both of you put those away now," Mai demanded. "Let's leave the weapons talk for private."

They had just stashed away the knives when Tony and Caleb arrived. Each took a seat next to their partners. Caleb and Ryuu exchanged steely eyes while Shane immediately scooted over to kiss his boyfriend.

Caleb addressed Mai. "We're going skating with these two."

"Great! It'll be fun!"

Tony pulled away from Shane and tried to keep the wince off his face. If Shane saw it he didn't say anything.

"I will go with you, but I am not getting on the ice," Ryuu stated.

"That's heartbreaking," Caleb returned dryly.

Ryuu narrowed his eyes. _"Ooh, look at that. He suddenly grew a pair of fucking balls."_

"Ryuu!"

"Hey, Ru-san!" Shane snapped. "Stop being a dick to Caleb!"

"Shane, don't."

"Fuck that, Tony. They're both cool. It's so stupid. They'd get along really well if he would cut out that bullshit."

"You do not even know what I said, _Otouto-san_."

"Don't have to understand the words to understand the meaning! Being stubborn in this situation is fucking ridiculous. He's marrying your sister! He got your grandfather's blessings! The. Fucking. End! I'm not gonna sit here and let you be mean to him for no fucking reason!"

By now Caleb was smiling real big at Shane. Tony dropped his elbows onto the table to hide his grin against his clasped hands.

Ryuu turned to his sister and pointed at Shane. _"I like him. Full of fire. No wonder he kicked Death's ass."_ Then he pointed to Caleb. _"Still don't like this fucker."_

Mai rolled her eyes and stood. "Shall we go?"

* * *

Caleb tried hard not to laugh. He really did. He really really tried. But neither of them knew how to skate on ice. It was the funniest damn thing he'd seen in a long ass time. Letting them try to learn together was a huge mistake. They kept tripping each other up so finally Caleb had to go over and grab Shane for a one-on-one, while Mai took to handling Tony, who looked about ready to set the ice on fire and be done with it. He was only on the ice still because of Shane.

Ryuu had parked on a bench not far from the edge of the ice rink. He was slightly bent over with his elbows on his knees, chin cupped in hand, and eyes intent on the surroundings. Watching those on the ice but especially watching those around them, and the people mingling around at the edge. He could point out the security teams in a heartbeat. They were good at their jobs of being inconspicuous, but he had been trained to spot any type of security a mile away.

Just like Caleb he had to try really hard to keep from laughing at Tony and Shane. They were terrible on the ice. And Tony's face whenever he fell… it was sweet though the way he was sticking to it, and trying not to get too mad for the sake of his boyfriend. There were several girls and young women around the edge and on the ice watching those two with little hearts in their eyes. It was stupid funny.

Looking back at Shane, he wondered if the kid knew how to fight. If he didn't have a weapon on him, would he know how to save himself with just his body as a weapon? This woman was trying to abduct Shane for some reason and no one was assuming she wouldn't try it again. Cocking his head just a fraction, he let his eyes drift over to the other side of the pond where several people were sitting in the snow. One man was chatting up a woman, but most of his attention was on the people on the pond. He was willing to bet Billy had been tailing them to keep an eye out on Shane since Jared was away watching Damien's back.

Ryuu pulled out his cell when it started going off. He already knew who it was before answering. _"What?... No you can't fucking come out. I already said not yet… I know what night it is!... No I'm not bringing any women back with me, Kai! Wait until we get to the city!... Order some room service then, stupid. Make sure Minami answers the door and stay out of sight… Oi! I will skin your ass if you let him burn anything else with those cigarettes! WATCH HIM! For fuck's sake!"_

He disconnected the phone and contemplated throwing it at the nearest bystander. They were a bunch of retards when cooped up together for too long. It was a good thing they were all heading back to Allmsted tomorrow.

Not too long after that Jared and Damien appeared as well as Sheera and the man who was apparently trying to hook up with her. He seemed all right. Maybe too right. Normal. Kind of dull. Ryuu didn't see anything yet that made him think he fit in at all with this group. He could understand why _Otouto-san_ had been easily accepted. The kid was a fucking fireball. Seemed to have no fear at all. But this other guy…

Ryuu shrugged as he stood and turned away. Preparing to trek back to his snowmobile and head to the main lodge. No point in sticking around when there were several more people to look after them at the moment. He wanted to hang out a bit in his room and then get dressed to go out tonight anyway. Maybe he'd let the others go out tonight as well.

He was halfway to his transportation when it came zooming towards him with the Irish on top. _"What the fuck?!"_

Billy flashed a grin as he came to a stop in front of him. "You're a pretty easy mark, ya know." He laughed when Toyama started patting himself and searching his pockets and finding the key to the snowmobile missing.

" _Son of a bitch!"_

"I'm just gonna borrow this ta get back, if ya don't mind."

"I do mind, _baka_! _Get the fuck off my shit!_ "

Billy laughed, shook his head and spun the mobile around, and once again Ryuu got sprayed with a shit load of snow. The Japanese cursing at his back was amusing. Then he looked over his shoulder to find the yakuza sprinting after him. The bloke was fast. He was so fast that before Billy could rev up and go faster, Ryuu caught up and jumped on behind him.

" _I'm gonna to lay you flat on your fucking ass,"_ the man growled in his ear.

"I can understand you."

" _Yeah, I figured that."_

Billy continued to drive the thing and since they were both going to the same place, Ryuu let it slide this time. They made it to just outside the resort before the Irish slowed and then stopped. He then climbed off. "Thanks for the ride."

"Where are you going now?"

"Not point in the both of us showing up at the same time. I can walk from here."

* * *

"That was fun today. Ice skating," Shane announced as they stepped into the Vista Haus that night for Bouldevere's party. Tyson had rented the place out for the night in order to throw his New Years Eve party there. It was a prime location. Just after midnight the resort was supposed to have fireworks off the mountain and the view was going to be amazing. "We definitely should do it again sometime."

Tony looked at him like he was crazy. Completely understandable. They were both shit at it. But unlike Tony, it didn't hurt Shane's pride whenever he fell down like an infant just learning to walk.

"I'll take you again," Tony promised. "In fifty years."

Shane snorted out a laugh and looked around. The place was packed. There was that twinge of discomfort again. His stomach wobbled and goose bumps rose on his flesh but Tony pressed against his back as they wandered further in and the slight panic that he felt disappeared.

"You're looking hot tonight," Tony breathed in his ear.

"As opposed to any other night?"

Shane spotted Jared and Damien over by the long bar. They left the lodge half an hour before with Sheera, Mai, Caleb and Jake. Damien looked to be enjoying himself already, talking with Mai, Caleb, and some of Tyson's group. Jared stood back with his arms crossed, his eyes constantly sweeping back and forth. He was clearly in full security mode. Nobody was going near him.

"Hey, you came."

Shane pulled his eyes away from Jared and smiled at Tyson, who appeared in front of them. "Yeah. Thanks for inviting us."

"Of course." He looked over him at Tony. "Candon." Tony didn't say anything; just stared hard at him. Tyson cleared his throat. "Yes, well… Drinks are on me tonight until just after midnight. You two enjoy. I've got to go off now but I'm sure we'll run into each other again."

"Cool. See ya."

"Bizarre," Tony muttered lowly as they watched Tyson walk off.

Shane twisted around in his arms. "Are you ready to do this?"

Tony glanced over to the dance floor. They had talked about it before coming. They both agreed they wanted to try to get back out there. Get over that particular fear, reluctance, whatever. His arms tightened around Shane. "I don't have one drink in me yet, baby boy. After."

"Well lets go get you a drink, old man."

"Hey now. Nu uh. No, Shane."

Shane snickered and tipped his head back just slightly to peck him on the lips. "I am getting taller! Sweet, man!"

Tony laughed. It was pretty damn sweet. It was more Shane for him to love.

They joined the others at the bar and while Tony went on to order two rum and cokes, Shane set to greeting everyone. Macy and Darella were there, already talking about dancing. Though now they were all about Shane. Tony wasn't sure if he should feel insulted or jealous.

"Hey… you think you might want to dance with us?" Macy asked him.

"If Tony says it's okay, that is," Darella put in with a saucy wink at said man.

"We haven't…. not since that night, we haven't tried to dance. Um… we're having a drink first and then we're gonna try and get out there."

"No sweat, hot stuff. Everyone knows everyone here tonight," Darella answered. "You and Tony have that drink then come out. But once you're done with Tony, we're gonna be all over you."

Shane smiled widely at them. "Sure."

"What?" Tony ground out.

"It'll be fun. Sandwiches are fun."

Damien snickered at Tony's face and nodded along with Shane.

Shane turned away from them when they started to chat with Damien and picked up his drink, looking to the man beside him. "You alright?"

Jared faced him and nodded. He then snorted when he saw Tony chugging his rum and coke. He knew what the brunet was trying to bolster up for.

"Gonna relax at all tonight?"

"I'll try."

"Oh my God!" Macy suddenly shrieked. "When did that happen?"

Shane spun around to see what was going on. Darella and Macy were bent over Mai's hand, smiling widely at the engagement ring. Jared noticed neither Shane nor Tony had reacted negatively to the shrieking.

Mai bounced on her toes. Her smile couldn't get any bigger. "He proposed Christmas Eve."

"Congratulations, you two!" Darella cried, jumping forward to hug Mai and then over to Caleb.

"Bout damn time!" Macy hugged them too and then spun around. "Dinah!" she shouted. "Dinah, come here!"

Dinah was soon over and filled in and she looked ecstatic about the news. Then she was hugging Mai tightly. She was genuinely pleased for the both of them.

"Are we getting invites?" she whispered in Mai's ear.

"You, definitely," Mai returned just as quietly. "It'll be this summer. Probably in Japan."

"I'm so there." And then she hugged Mai again.

Mai's smile slipped just slightly and she pulled back. But then she took Dinah's hand and led the young woman away from the group to somewhere more quiet where they could talk and she could find out why she felt not all was right with Dinah.

"Okay. Let's do this," Tony announced, grabbing Shane's hand. He pumped himself up and they needed to do this now before he caved. Plus there was a slow song playing. He'd rather start out with a slow song.

Shane nodded firmly and let his boyfriend lead him to the dance floor.

Damien softly took Macy's arm and nudged her aside. "Excuse me, sweetie." He was strung like a bow. Jared and Caleb too as they watched the couple. On the other side of the room where Sheera was standing, she had paused in her conversation upon seeing them and was also watching intently.

Tony was one hundred percent tense. Couldn't seem to relax at all. But Shane knew his boyfriend, knew exactly what to do. So he pressed closer and let his hands drift under Tony's dress shirt. Let his lips press against Tony's neck. He didn't go further than that. Not everyone was accepting here. He'd seen it already and he had no wish to deal with that tonight. And then Tony's arms wrapped around him and he dropped his forehead to the top of Shane's crown and blew out a breath, body relaxing second by second. And then they were dancing; letting go. Ignoring those around them. Everything around them disappeared.

Damien blew out a relieved breath and smiled over his shoulder when Jared dropped a hand to his neck and squeezed gently. Damien backed up a few steps and snuggled back against Jared's chest.

* * *

Billy was back at the kitchen table, hunched over his computer. He had more lights on this time. He had a small dagger in hand, tapping it rapidly against the table as he read the information on his screen. From all accounts read, he knew this Marissa was probably in Allmsted or somewhere very close to the city. She'd pulled her guys out there too if she had any at this point. Any mercenaries anyway.

He had yet to tell Dec, but it was certain Tarrington had people on her payroll who were probably close to the Shrods. Probably high up in the company or people who dealt with them on a daily or weekly basis. The fact that Declan hadn't figured this out yet pissed him the fuck off. Dec was much better than this, much more on point. Though he knew this was very personal, so maybe he'd forgive his friend this one time. Besides, this was his thing. Watching Dec's back. He'd do it till he died. He owed Declan that. Dec had a family now. He would happily watch their backs too.

He hated to admit it, but he was bored. Bored on New Years Eve. This time last year he had been sneaking into a heavily secured hotel in Dubai and by midnight had carried out the assassination of a Saudi asshat prince. That had been fun. But now he had nothing to do and he didn't even have a drink in front of him. Fucking ridiculous. He was Irish to the core. He should be fucking drunk already.

Just as he turned his eyes to the fridge, contemplating on getting up to get a drink, he heard a sound at the front door. Automatically tensing, he waited and watched and listened. When he heard a key card sliding in, he acted.

Ryuu walked in and shut the door. He took two steps in and then froze. Billy was standing in the kitchen. A pistol with a silencer fitted on the barrel aimed at his head. They stared at each other and Ryuu lifted his hands, letting the key card slip from his fingers. Billy didn't look at all amused. He looked like he was ready to shoot him.

"Didja forget something, yakuza?" Billy asked lowly.

" _Fuck. I forgot the four knocks."_

"Yer fuckin right!" he shouted. "Ya forgot the four fuckin knocks and I just about blew a hole in yer head, ya fuckin moron! How didja get that card?"

"Jared."

Billy blew out an incensed breath and only when he dropped the gun did Ryuu drop his hands. He watched Billy drop back into his seat and stash the gun back up under the table. He didn't see that Billy's hand was shaking but he did hear the mutters.

"Fucking almost shot him in the head. Dec would have loved that. Bloody wanker!"

"I will not forget next time."

Billy cursed again and slapped his laptop closed. He took his glasses off and dropped those on top. "Whad'ya want?"

Ryuu took a moment to appreciate the fact Billy was seriously pissed about what just happened and about what almost happened. He appreciated the fact Billy hesitated before pulling the trigger. He was done not taking this guy seriously in regards to his actual occupation.

He approached slowly. _"Sorry."_

Billy waved that away. "Don't forget the knock next time." He studied Ryuu as he stopped at the table. The guy was underdressed now. The first he'd seen. He had on a button up shirt that was open and a wife beater under that and jeans. The bloke was fit. Seriously cut in the torso, arms, and shoulders area. "Ya didn't answer my question. What do you want?"

"Come down with me."

Billy lost the severe look and smirked at him. He stood and moved around until he was toe to toe with the bloke. "Did the translation get mixed up?"

Ryuu looked confused. He mentally thought about what he just said and then he realized what Billy was implying. Billy's smirk drifted away to a smile and he laughed. The fully fledged yakuza actually flushed. His tan skin darkened further from his neck and rose upward.

"Ah… no. No, I meant… Ah…"

Billy snickered and backed up, shaking his head. "Relax, Toyama. Just messing." Though that wouldn't have been a hardship. Not at all. This bloke was fine. Just the right height, the right build… He spun around and strode for the fridge. "Shite. I need a drink."

" _Um… I want to introduce you to my guys. I want them to meet you,"_ Ryuu announced. _"Have a drink with us. It's New Years Eve. You should be fucking drinking, Irish."_

Billy laughed and turned back to him, nodding. "Damn straight. Yeah, sounds brilliant. Give me a few minutes and I'll come down."

Ryuu smiled excitedly and Billy got the impression the yakuza didn't realize he was doing it. _"Right on."_ He turned and headed for the door, pausing momentarily to pick up the card key he dropped.

"Oi!" Ryuu turned back with a hand on the doorknob. "For the record, and don't ya fucking repeat this to anyone ever- your sister's fiancé? He shot two guys in the head and set a building on fire in retaliation for the kid's stabbing and his brother's broken hand. So ya might want to give the guy a break, yeah? Ya might want to get to know him a wee bit better. He's no dumbass pussycat."

Ryuu blinked and the shock coloring his face a moment later was very amusing.

Once he was gone, Billy sat down and contemplated on not going. It was harder for him to socialize with people than it was for Dec, despite outward appearances. Probably because he hadn't been forced to socialize like Declan had. But then again, he did enjoy the interactions he'd had already with Ryuu.

The guy was fun. And he wanted to see the guy when he was in a position to be himself. He knew Ryuu was more than just a low life gangster. The Toyama family was of a higher caste of yakuza. Toyama had gone to great prep schools and an acclaimed University. His grandfather had been molding him and others in the family to know how to run the organization with the changing present and future in mind.

Billy stood back up and went to grab his satchel. He went back to the kitchen table and grabbed his laptop and gear and shoved that into the bag. He checked his knife and went to grab the other one from under the couch sofa and the pistol there as well.

When he got downstairs and was in front of room 513, he shook his head in amusement. Music was blaring. It sounded like old school Michael Jackson. He waited a moment, could hear four distinct voices, none of them Ryuu. And then he heard Ryuu.

" _Turn that shit off, Kai! What the hell?!"_

The music immediately cut off. But then something else started playing. Some Japanese rock band. It didn't sound too bad, but it was still playing way too loud. Billy had to pound on the door.

" _Turn it the fuck down or I swear I'll break the stereo over your fucking head!"_

" _Okay, Ani! I'm turning it down. Damn!"_

" _Answer the door, Minami."_

" _What? Someone's there?"_ Billy didn't hear a reply from Ryuu, but a second later he heard, _"Okay! Okay! Damn, Ryuu. Don't look at me like that!"_

" _Hey, Ru-san? Are you gonna make me one of them?"_

" _Make your own goddamn drink, Riku."_

The door was wrenched open by a skinny guy wearing just a white beater. His tattoos were clearly visible on the arms and through the white of his top. "Howya? Very inconspicuous, mate."

" _Eh?"_ The guy spun around to look within the suite. _"Hey, Ani. There's a little westerner at our door! What should I do with him?"_

Billy shook his head. Never turn your back on a stranger. Though it did give him a chance to shift closer and look inside, to scope out the situation. Once he had enough of a look, he focused back on the man at the door. "Did you just call me little? Fairly fucked up thing to say considering we're the same height," Billy ground out.

And then Ryuu was there, looking slightly worried because he heard that and he jerked his man away by the hair. " _Baka_ ," he hissed at him and pushed him away. "Come in," he said to Billy and stepped aside.

Billy stepped inside, eyeing the three blokes spread out on the sectional sofa. All three eyeing him back. The one in the middle was huge. He wouldn't call him fat cause that was rude. But he was massive and bald. The one of the left of him was an older guy. Maybe around forty-five. He was wearing a button up shirt and slacks. He still had a full head of hair though and he looked like he kept himself in top form. He also had a knife perched on his knee. The one to the big guy's right was average in weight and height. His hair was long and tied back into a pony tail. He had a scar running down his right cheek. His gun was clearly visible on his hip.

There was another bloke standing at the kitchen bar eyeing him. This one looked young. He looked like a pretty boy and he had his hair dyed a deep copper color. The bloke who Ryuu had grabbed by the hair had slunk off to go stand behind the couch directly behind big guy.

"Sure then," he said as he walked in. "We should start this off right, yeah? Who's your best fighter here, Toyama?" because they were all trying to intimidate him by looks and he wasn't one to be intimidated and he did not like the way he was being judged via the eyes.

"Me."

Billy smirked. "Course. But no. We'll wait for that one," he murmured as he set his satchel on the chair by the door and then began to take off his sweater. "The second best then?"

Ryuu pointed at the man to the left of big guy.

"Nice. Is he up for a quick brawl?" he asked as he pulled out the pistol he always carried tucked in his waistband at his back and handed it to Ryuu. "Let's get this out of the way. I want that drink."

" _Come fight him, Aiko."_

" _Eh? You want the little guy to run home crying, Ani?"_

" _You shut up, Minami! Aiko."_

Aiko nodded and stood. He rounded the couch and approached Billy who was rocking back and forth from his heels to his toes with a smile on his face. He was standing there in sneakers, jeans, and a t-shirt. His clothes didn't fit snugly so it was very hard to ascertain what kind of body type he actually had. Aiko unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it aside. Billy nodded. Yep. This bloke was built like a truck.

Aiko stopped in front of him, brought his hands up in prayer like form and bowed to him. Billy repeated in kind and backed up half a step. _"No hard feelings after this, yeah?"_

Aiko's eyes widened in surprise at the use of Japanese, but then he grinned and nodded.

" _He's not gonna feel anything after Aiko's done with him,"_ the big guy laughed.

Billy ignored him for the moment and watched Aiko. The guy came at him with all of his strength, all of his weight just as Billy knew he would and so it was easy to side step him and avoid his swinging fists. He nearly caught Billy off guard with the leg kick, but he blocked that too with his own leg. He could have made it short and sweet, but he figured he should show off for these guys a little bit. Let them see he wasn't a fluke. A lucky shot. That lasted a couple of minutes, with him dodging Aiko's fists or actually taking a punch to his chest and still staying on his feet, before Aiko decided martial arts was in order. The second he did that, Billy stopped playing around.

He figured he could still take him even with the martial arts, but he wasn't one hundred percent sure. So when he had an opening, he struck out with his left arm, delivering that sweet shot right into the side of the bloke's head and watched with a smile as Aiko went down like a felled tree.

Billy stepped back and took a deep breath. Savoring the shock. The suite was completely silent… and so was the guy on the floor. Knocked out cold. Billy turned to Ryuu, who immediately handed the piece back. "Drink?"

" _Fuck yeah."_

Billy grinned and waved his gun around to indicate him and his boys. "This is more like it, mate."

Ryuu nodded and looked to the pretty boy. _"Get some water. Wake Aiko up."_

"If he wakes up," Billy said with a shrug.

" _What the fuck?!"_ Minami exclaimed. _"That was sweet, man!"_

" _Ru-san,"_ the big man spoke. _"Who is this?"_

"Billy," announced Ryuu. Then he pointed to each of his blokes, all of whom had stood upon Aiko's knock out. First to the big man. "Kai." The bloke bowed to him. "Minami." The bloke who answered the door and whose face indicated he'd just had a major attitude adjustment. "Takumi." Ponytail bloke bowed to him.

"And he's Aiko," said Billy and then he pointed to the last one, who splashed a cup of water onto Aiko's face. The bloke sputtered awake immediately so he wasn't dead. "Who's pretty boy?"

Every single one of them laughed. Except pretty boy. He scowled something awful. "This is what we usually call him. He is my youngest cousin. Riku."

"How old is he?"

"Twenty."

" _Can I see your gun?"_ Riku asked him.

"Get outta here! You're cute."

" _What's the problem? I just want to look at it."_

"I don't let no one handle my baby, kid."

Said kid flushed in anger. _"You let Ru-san hold it!"_

Billy stopped and frowned. Stared at Ryuu in contemplation. "I did, yeah. Weird."

Ryuu smirked. _"Want that drink now, Irish?"_

He nodded and followed Ryuu to the kitchen. "He's gotta piece," he told the kid as he passed them, pointing to Takumi. "go play with his. What's so special about mine?"

" _It's way bigger,"_ Riku snapped. _"It's old school. Like_ Dirty Harry _."_

"It's not that big."

" _Still compensating?"_

Billy flashed Ryuu a grin as he took one of the bar stools along the bar. "Ha ha."

Ryuu passed around the bar into the kitchen and came to stand in front of him. "You speak Japanese well."

"Spent some time in your parts. Had a good teacher. Necessity too, ya know."

Ryuu nodded and passed over a tall glass of something. "Riku, come."

"All these guys speak English?"

"Not great, but yes. They watch a lot of American television and movies. Speaking English was a… criteria in being chosen to come with me." He turned a fraction to Riku who stood beside Billy and handed him another tall glass of the same thing. "Aiko."

"Ru-san…"

" _Take the shit to Aiko now,"_ Ryuu said lowly.

"Your man definitely needs it." Billy swung around. _"Still no hard feelings?"_ he called to the man who had dazedly gone to drop on the couch. Billy couldn't see his face but the guy raised his hand and waved.

Ryuu soon set three more drinks on the bar. _"Here, pretty boy. One for you too."_

Riku's sulk completely disappeared. _"Thanks, Ru-san."_

" _Go on and drink it. Take Minami out with you before he lights up again inside."_

Riku grabbed up a drink for himself and Minami and then headed towards the balcony. Minami had already lit up a cigarette and followed after him upon Ryuu's hard look. Neither of them bothered to throw on jackets. Kai and Takumi came over to get their drinks. Kai returned to his seat, started talking to Aiko. Takumi- apparently the quiet guy- took the stool next to Billy.

"Not going up the mountain tonight?" Billy asked Ryuu.

"Probably in about an hour. Told the others they could explore the town… inconspicuously," he added upon Billy's look. "Riku will be coming with me. You should come too."

"Not a good idea. I've already told ya why."

Ryuu frowned just slightly and went on to down half his drink, most of which was sake.

Takumi nudged Billy's arm. When he looked he found the bloke holding out a pack of fags to him. "Thanks, boyo."

Takumi nodded, waited for Billy to grab one, then lit him up before lighting his own.

"Didn't you want us outside?"

"Just Minami. He always burns things."

"You don't have to keep speaking English with me."

"Practice is good. It keeps me from saying things I should not in certain places. It is part of Shrod's plan. Once back in the city I will be… impersonating a Shrod business associate."

"You too, huh? Fancy that."

"You are going to put on a suit?"

"Don't look too surprised! I've done it before."

" _Looking forward to seeing that."_

Billy frowned and looked away. Studied the two on the balcony. "Your cousin. He have the tattoos yet?"

"Yes. Not much of his body covered. Small portion, but he's trained…" Ryuu eyed him. _"You've got ink."_

"Sure. Dec and I were branded at the same time."

"Will you let me see?"

They stared at each other. Billy was starting to get that itch. "Show me yours and I'll show you mine." He wondered if Ryuu would realize he wasn't messing this time around. After a moment it was clear the yakuza didn't get it. He nodded without flushing.

"When we finally fight."

Billy nodded and side glanced Takumi when the man covered his mouth to slightly cough and he noticed the hidden smirk. Clearly Takumi had understood what he was hinting at. Ah, well. He'd let that itch go. It wasn't a good idea anyway.

* * *

Tony had to admit Tyson's party was entertaining, though some people already had too much to drink and it wasn't even midnight yet. He wondered if there would be some sort of designated driver program. These people didn't need to be trying to get down the mountain on their own in this state. He couldn't imagine these drunktards getting on the lifts to go down. That was asking for trouble.

Currently he was sitting alone at a table pushed up against a wall. Arms crossed over the table with his chin on his arms and eyes staring straight ahead. There was a section close to the bar that was mainly empty of people. Kind of in the shadows. But enough for him to see. Shane and Tyson were over there talking. Both sitting on stools at the end. At one point, Shane had gotten up when too many people had crowded at his back and switched seats with Bouldevere so that he was facing the crowds. Tony shook his head. That was probably going to be a lifelong thing. But at least he didn't look bothered. It was automatic movement. Smart too, really.

Damn Tyson though. He was straight, so what the fuck did he need to talk to Shane so much for?

"It's kind of funny," Damien said as he slipped in beside him.

"What is?"

"You being jealous of Tyson. Must be opposite day."

Tony snorted and shook his head. "Hey, uh… does Jared have handcuffs on him?"

Damien frowned in confusion. "Why? Gonna arrest Tyson?"

"No."

"Why then?"

Tony didn't answer. Just kept staring at Shane, who really did look super hot tonight. It was the fact that he hadn't dressed to the nines. Just in something he would be comfortable in. Sort of baggy jeans, well pressed and low on the hips. A designer t-shirt with a nice dark purple opened button up shirt over that. That t-shirt hugged his frame perfectly and ended a quarter of an inch away from the waistband of his jeans so he was constantly showing off skin.

"Tony?"

Said man shifted. "Shane…" Then Jared appeared and slid in across from him. "Please tell me you have handcuffs on you."

Damien laughed. "Pervert."

"I don't usually take prisoners. That's Billy's forte when we work like that. Go ask one of the Shrod Sec."

"Good idea!"

"Just don't tell them what it's for," Damien said.

"What is it for?" Jared asked as he watched Tony shove Damien out of the way. He left without answering Jared.

"For Shane," answered Damien with a smirk.

Jared just shook his head. "Bouldevere was trying to weasel out information about the corporation from Shane a few minutes ago. Acting like it was inconsequential chatter. He was trying to be really subtle about it too."

Damien's smile flat lined. "What?" he hissed.

Jared smirked. "Shane put him down fast. Caught on immediately and told him Shrod Group was off limits. I love that kid." Damien had been glaring at Tyson's back, but upon that announcement turned a really soft smile on Jared, who cleared his throat and looked away. "Ah, look. Toyama's here. Brought Shane a playmate."

Damien twisted around towards the main doors. Ryuu was just walking in with another guy, this one much younger than Ryuu. "That's Mai's baby cousin. Riku."

Jared nodded. Of course he already knew that.

"He changed his hair. Looks fantastic. Haven't seen him in a few years." Damien popped out of the seat. "Let's go say hello."

Jared followed after his lover and they made their way to Ryuu who had stopped just inside the doors to case the place out before moving in.

Damien stopped in front of them. Smiled widely. _"Hello!"_ he exclaimed and bowed to them. Both smiled back and returned the bow. "Riku! You're looking fabulous! What's it been? Five years. You got so big! Look at you! All hot and grown up." Riku shifted and flushed in embarrassment. Damien's smile widened. "So cute."

"I am not cute," Riku muttered.

"No? No, that's right. You're a scary gangster." Damien winked at him. "I won't forget again."

Ryuu snorted.

Damien grabbed Riku's arm and started pulling him away. "Come on. Let me introduce you to some people. One person in particular. Need to get to him before his boyfriend does."

Riku looked back to Ryuu for help, but his cousin smirked at him and so all he could do was let the Shrod heir tug him around. Ryuu went off with Jared.

Shane was still speaking with Tyson, who was leaning against the bar with his arms on it and a glass in his hand. He looked contemplative as Shane spoke to him. "Look I don't pretend to know everything, but in my recent experiences, you gotta surround yourself with the right people. And I'm not talking about the people who can do things for you in a shallow sort of way. People who don't have to do anything at all, but still do something for you by just being there around you."

"That's easier said than done."

"Not really. I've already seen you have a few of those people here. You only need a few."

Tyson blew out a breath. He then grabbed his drink and stood up. "I need to move around…" and then he smirked at Shane. "Make sure Shrod brings you around next year."

"Oh don't worry. Shane's not going anywhere," Damien announced as he and Riku came up.

"Good." Tyson nodded at them and headed off.

"Seriously, Shane. You need to give me your secret."

Shane smiled widely. "I'm just super awesome."

"My cockiness is rubbing off on you."

"Think so, yeah." Shane then turned and smiled at Riku.

"Shane, this is Toyama Riku. Mai's baby cousin."

" _Don't use baby when you're fucking describing me, Shrod."_

Shane's smile upped a notch. "Didn't catch all of that, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't like to be called a baby either."

"They do it to you?"

"All the fucking time. It's that or kid."

Riku nodded briskly. He then bowed to Shane. "Nice to meet you. You are the _Otouto_ Ru-san has spoken about?"

"Not sure, but probably."

"Yes, this is him," Damien answered. "So I'm just gonna leave you two here. Have a drink. Get to know each other."

And then he was gone. Shane rocked back and forth on his feet. Not sure what was going to happen. Riku rolled his eyes and sat on the stool Tyson had vacated.

" _Sit the fuck down and let's get a drink."_

"Um… I understood fuck."

Riku snorted and pointed to the bar stool next to him. "Sit."

They didn't get to spend too much time talking. Only about ten minutes before Tony showed up and pulled Shane from his seat. "Come on, baby boy. We're gonna ring in the New Year right."

"What do you mean? It's not midnight yet? Tony, we were talking!" Shane hissed as he was dragged away without a word.

Tony looked over his shoulder and grinned at Riku. "Hey, Riku."

The guy gave a little wave and went back to drinking his beer while his eyes scoped the place out for any hot chicks to hit on.

The kitchen was closed for the night, so there was no staff back there. Just two guys at the door. Conveniently Shrod Sec so they didn't block Tony when he shoved Shane through the doors. And they also listened when he told them not to let anyone follow.

"Man, what's going on?" Shane demanded.

"Just shut up and wait a minute," he answered and he pulled Shane through the kitchens and towards the back. They bypassed the meat lockers and into the storage shed at the very back. It wasn't too cluttered, but that wouldn't matter anyway. Shane liked it cramped too.

"Tony? Seriously?"

"I said shut up," Tony hissed as he lurched forward, sinking hands into Shane's hair and dragging him against him. He kissed him brutally, sucking away any air Shane had and baby boy didn't put up any kind of fight, especially when one hand dropped and slid underneath his shirt; blunt fingernails scraping across his skin. Shane moaned into his mouth and grabbed at his shoulders to hold on.

Tony pulled the other hand out of Shane's hair to grab at the metal shelving on the wall behind his boyfriend. He gave it several hard tugs while still keeping their lips connected. The shelving didn't give any leeway. It was bolted in good. And it was also the perfect height. He pulled his hand down and twisted Shane around, mouth attaching to his throat. By this time Shane was breathing heavily, his face flushed. Tony worked on getting Shane's dress shirt off him and dropped it over a lower shelf.

Shane gasped when his hands were grabbed and wrenched over his head and before he knew what was happening, Tony had his wrists in the handcuffs and suspended above his head. Shane looked up at his confined hands in bewilderment. Then Tony stepped away from him.

Shane craned his neck to be able to look over his shoulder. "What the fuck, Tony?!" he couldn't believe how fast Tony managed to do that.

"I said. Shut. Up."

Shane sucked in a breath. Tony's voice was low and dangerous. And completely arousing. As was the look in his eyes. Tony then moved over to the shelf on the opposite wall. He pulled out his phone and set it up with the lens pointed in their direction. Shane's mouth parted in comprehension, and his heart sped up all over again.

And then hands were on his hips, travelling around to his front. Fingers were working on his button and zipper. Once that was done, the back of his shirt was pulled up over his head, leaving his back bare. A hand then slipped down, grabbed him. Shane moaned and dropped his chin to his heaving chest as he was slowly caressed and pulled, played with. Teased. Another hand drifted up under the front of his shirt and Tony scraped a nail over a nipple.

He swallowed thickly, moaned when Tony pulled and twisted just right. "W-we s-shouldn't." And yet his hips wouldn't stop moving with Tony's hand. He didn't shy away from the hardness against his ass either. When Tony then started to bite his neck, Shane suffered a full body shudder. He dropped his head back against Tony's shoulder. "S-shit."

Tony breathed into his ear, "tell me to stop and I will."

Shane pulled on the handcuffs again and then glanced at the cell phone. He minutely shook his head and then immediately whimpered when Tony's thumb scraped across the head of his leaking cock.

When Tony pulled his hand off him, Shane may have whimpered again pitifully, but suddenly his jeans were pulled down and left to fall down around his ankles.

"I fucking knew it," Tony growled at the lack of boxers. Shane always went without when he'd spent way too much time in the bathroom when getting ready for a date. He didn't spend all that time primping. He spent that time preparing for the after date. For him, and it drove Tony crazy knowing it.

Tony's hands drifted to his back, fingers lightly skimming over the scars on his sides, and then down over his ass. He groaned as he dropped to his knees. Shane yanked on the handcuffs again, his face flushed in embarrassment and need and beads of sweat were starting to appear all over his body. "T-Tony, what are you doing?"

Tony didn't answer. Instead he grabbed a handful of ass and squeezed before spreading Shane wide for him. Shane squeezed his eyes closed and just barely kept from crying out when Tony pressed his face in as far as he could, swiping his tongue from the base of his cock and back up to swirl around his main prize. That hole and the heat inside. He swiped back and forth over and over again until Shane was cursing lowly into the air. Until his legs were shaking. And then he added two fingers, slowly moving them in and out just shallowly. Shane didn't need any prep. He was already ready. This was all for Tony.

"Fuck! Tony!"

This went on for minutes until Tony stood back, but he left those fingers poised just inside. He used his free hand to unbutton his pants and free himself.

"You're going to give me your present, Shane."

Shane groaned and tried to arch back, but Tony pulled his fingers completely away. Shane hissed in frustration and tipped his face up, yanking on the handcuffs.

"T-Tony…"

Tony scraped against him. "I want your fucking present!"

"Okay! Okay, yeah! Just…"

Shane arched his back out again, trying to bowl over as much as possible when Tony's cock pressed against him; when the asshole slowly entered. His ass cheeks were spread wide and Tony's eyes were fixated on the sight of him slowly moving inside Shane. When he was in enough he let go of Shane's ass, he grabbed his hips and thrust in completely.

Holy fuck, it was so good. Shane tied up in front of him, hanging on; hot and so tight. And he pounded into him, over and over again and Shane couldn't do anything but take it. Tony wrapped an arm around Shane's middle and grabbed a handful of hair, forcing Shane's face to the ceiling so he could clearly hear those noises Shane couldn't help but make when he was being dominated.

Shane spread his legs just a bit wider, and by the frantic pace of his panting, Tony knew he was close; that one spot inside him being stimulated over and over again and Tony was being relentless. Never stopping, never slowing down. Tony dropped his forehead to Shane's shoulder and clenched his teeth; holding back. He was so close. Releasing baby boy's hair, he reached around and took hold of his flushed and leaking erection, tried to keep the rhythm of his hand in tune with his hard thrusts.

Soon Shane gasped and went rigid in his arms. "Oh God. Oh fuck," he moaned and started to shudder violently. "Oh God, Tony…" and Tony released his control and allowed himself to come right along with Shane. To ride that wave together to the very end.

Tony panted heavily against Shane's slick neck, holding on to him around the middle, because if he didn't, he was sure his legs would collapse. "Fuck."

Shane made an unintelligible sound of agreement. His head was lowered, chin to heaving chest again. He was still shaking, but that was understandable. He had come hard. Tony's lips curved into a smirk.

"Baby boy? You okay?"

He got a slight nod; Shane was much too busy panting, trying to get his breath back under control to tell him he was fucking fantastic. After a moment he was able to pull in a deep breath. "Could you… could you release my hands now? My wrists are starting to hurt."

"Yeah—oh shit."

"What?" Shane tried twisting around, winced a little at the action.

"I uh… I don't have the key," Tony explained as he quickly went to go grab his phone, grinning when he saw it was still recording. Awesome. "I was in such a hurry I forgot to ask for it."

"Excuse me?"

"Just… just hold on a minute, Shane. I'll be right back."

"You are NOT leaving me hanging here, asshole!"

Tony grinned at the back of his head.

"Especially not after I let you do this to me!"

"Let me?"

"Whatever!"

"You liked it—no, you loved it."

Shane didn't answer.

Tony pressed completely against him and dropped his lips against Shane's ear. "You wanna do that again, don't you?"

Shane was trying to keep from smiling, but he was failing miserably. "You think the house has some sort of shelving like this?"

"If it doesn't, you can bet your sweet ass it'll be the first thing on my to-do list."

Shane was then surprised when his arms were given slack and his hands fell away when the handcuffs were undone. "Liar. And I'm a mess."

Tony took up his wrists to inspect in order to make sure he hadn't actually hurt him. "I've got you covered."

It took ten minutes, but Shane finally stumbled out of the storage closet, cleaned up and feeling like a million bucks. Tony went to wash his hands so Shane sank down into a chair nearby and waited for him. "Hey, you know it's probably close to midnight," he called out. He slumped in the chair and nearly slipped right out of it. He was still feeling that boneless. It was awesome.

Tony came back a short time later and grabbed him out of the chair. Shane slipped his arms around him, hugging him and laughing at that cocky light in his boyfriend's eyes. They just kind of stood there, holding on and kissing. Shane's hands moved from Tony's chest and up over his neck and into his hair, pulling him closer and Tony happily lost himself to Shane.

They only moved back to the party when Damien started blowing up their phones, demanding to know where they were. Most everyone had moved out to the balconies and patio. Tony hurried off to go grab their jackets while Shane went to locate their friends. He found Sheera and Jake first and stopped to watch them. When he first reached them, Jake looked kind of ticked off and Sheera had a shit eating grin on her face. Then she pulled out a packet of gun and tossed a piece in her mouth. Jake's frown slipped a bit. When Sheera turned to say something to Mai, Jake grabbed her arm and twisted her to face him. And then they just kind of pounced on each other.

Shane shook his head as he approached. "You're supposed to wait until midnight for that," he told them and he was completely ignored.

"And what were you just doing?" Mai inquired with a knowing smile.

He smiled back innocently. "Nothing."

Beside Mai, Caleb snorted and shook his head. Shane meandered a few feet over to where Damien, Jared, Ryuu and Riku were standing. Riku was standing just slightly apart with a couple of girls. It looked like he had them eating out of his hands. Not really surprising.

Damien grinned at him. "Did Tony find handcuffs?"

Shane cleared his throat, dragged a hand through his hair. His ears were on fire. Jared laughed.

"It was sooooo good, Damien," he whispered to his best friend. Damien snickered. Shane then pointed to Sheera and Jake.

Damien's smile diminished just slightly. "I wouldn't take that at point value, hun. Those two have been drinking hard since we got here. Jake in his failing patience and frustration, and Sheera in her nerves and indecisiveness. I'm not really sure… about them."

That kind of put a damper on his good mood.

"Don't worry about it, cutie. It'll be resolved one way or the other. They'll be fine."

A coat was thrown over his shoulders just as people started counting down. Tony let Shane get into his coat before pressing against his back. "Where's my present?"

"You'll get it," Shane replied, dropping his head back on Tony's shoulder. "You'll get it before we get to Allmsted."

Once the countdown hit one, Shane spun around to kiss Tony. Happy in his boyfriend's arms and knowing he would be kissing Tony for the rest of his life. The first of many New Years together.

The rest of their group was doing the same thing. Jared and Damien. Mai and Caleb. Even freaking Riku had coaxed one of the girls into kissing him. Ryuu stood slightly back, shaking his head at his cousin, and as the fireworks started going off above their heads, he turned slightly in the direction of the Shrod resort, staring off that way with a frown on his face.

* * *

The holiday had come to a close. Shrod, Daisy, and Rose were already gone. Having left by helicopter early that morning. Everything was packed up and stored and people were loading into the RV. Jake had already left too. Earlier than Shrod and the two ladies.

Jared stood beside a long black SUV, speaking to Ryuu while his group got their asses into the bus. After a few minutes he returned to the bus to get into the driver's seat, while Ryuu opened the front passenger door and spoke to Takumi, who was driving the SUV.

" _Wait twenty minutes and then follow us."_ Takumi nodded. _"Riku, you're coming with me."_

Riku happily jumped out of the SUV and rounded to stand by him.

" _Stay at least two miles behind us at all times unless trouble shows. Then move your ass. Got it?"_

" _No worries. Ryuu-san,"_ Aiko answered with a nod. _"We've got your back."_

" _Keep on the lookout and be careful."_

" _Sure thing, boss."_

Ryuu nodded and then headed to the RV with Riku.

"Ryuu, will we fit?" Ryuu smirked at him. When they boarded, Riku stopped dead and his eyes widened. _"Bad ass! Ru-san, we need one of these!"_

" _What the fuck for?"_

Tony was at the far end, nearly stretched out on one of the couches. Mai and Caleb were sitting at a table. Sheera was sitting by herself behind the front end, once again immersed in a magazine, though she looked ready to doze off. Shrod and Shane were missing. Ryuu immediately went to sit shotgun and Riku went to sit next with his cousin and her fiancé.

"This is cool!" Caleb grinned at him. " _Where's Shrod and Otouto-san?"_

Mai smiled at him. "In the back, sleeping."

Five miles outside of town, they came across a hitchhiker wearing a heavy army green coat with the hood thrown up over his head and a loaded backpack on his back. The guy heard them coming, started walking backwards and stuck out a thumb. The hood obscured his face. Jared immediately pulled over.

" _What the hell are you doing?"_ Ryuu demanded.

"Go open the door," was his answer. When Ryuu did nothing but stare at him, he jerked a thumb at the door. "Do it."

When he finally opened the door, he was entirely too surprised to see Billy standing there grinning at him. Billy jumped on. "Thanks, mate. Didn't really want to walk all the way, ya know? Bout time too. My bollocks were freezing."

Ryuu turned back to Jared one he'd shut and locked the door. "You planned this."

Jared's returning glance said, "duh."

Billy dropped his bag onto an open seat and went straight for the fridge. He pulled out a soda and turned, looking around. "Oi! Where's your hot yank? Seriously, Dec. It's time, ya know!"

"He's sleeping in the back!"

Billy went straight to the back and opened the divider. He snorted when he saw Shrod and the kid snuggled up together under the covers of the bed. "Would ya get pissed if I told ya it looks like they're fucking?"

"I would," Tony replied lazily.

Billy laughed and took up the couch across from Tony, eyeing him. "Best not then."

Without sitting up, Tony immediately extended a hand to him. "Nice to meet you. Bout damn time."

"Right back at ya! Your kid is hot too."

Tony smirked. "Yeah. Thanks. Not a kid."

About an hour later, Damien stumbled out from the back. He looked half asleep still and walked blindly down the aisle, passed where Tony and Billy were still sitting and still talking. He went straight to the kitchenette, started opening cabinets and then the fridge. Then he growled. "WHERE'S THE MOTHER FUCKING COFFEE?!"

"For God's sake, Dame. We're in close confines!" Caleb snapped back.

Damien flicked him off and moved on to the front. Without hesitating, he turned to the driver and straddled Jared's lap, dropping his head on Jared's shoulder.

"I want coffee, bastard," he whined. "Do we have coffee?"

Ryuu sat straight up in his seat. _"You're driving, Newton!"_

"Don't be such a prude," Damien muttered. "He's got it."

" _Get him the fuck off you! I don't want to die in this bus!"_

"Nag, nag, nag, nag. Are yakuza supposed to be such nags?"

Jared laughed and kissed the top of Damien's head. "I'll stop and pick up some fresh coffee for you."

"Hmmm." Damien shifted closer. "Love you."

Jared cleared his throat and shifted underneath him.

" _For the… what the fuck?!"_ Ryuu jumped to his feet and vacated to the back of the bus.

And then Shane appeared. He looked more awake, already smiling. He went straight to Tony and stretched out on top of him.

"Good nap?"

"Yeah, but I woke up and Damien was spooning me."

"We saw that."

"Yeah." Shane snickered. "Hey are you going to upload that video to your computer? I was thinking when we get home we can watch it. We should make a folder and put all our porn in it. Just don't let fucking Damien get a hold of it."

Tony cleared his throat. "Baby, um…" Shane lifted his face, saw Tony flick his eyes over. It was then Shane finally noticed Billy, who was watching them with amusement. Shane's face got so red.

"Um… hi."

"Hello!" Billy grinned at Tony. "Yeah. Cute thing."

Tony smirked and nodded while Shane frowned.

The nerdy spy shifted to the edge of his seat. "So how much porn do you blokes have?"

"Just two vids so far."

"Tony!"

Billy laughed, shook his head, and stood up to move to the front just as Ryuu came to the back and took his place. Billy just glanced at Ryuu as he passed him. Billy planted his arse in the passenger seat, set his heels on the dashboard, and watched the two in the driver's seat.

"Really, Dec?"

"We're comfortable. I've got this. Billy this is Damien… Damien?" he jerked the shoulder Damien's face was plastered on. "Damien! Wake up!"

"Cof-fee," Damien growled without opening his eyes.

"Damien, Billy wants to meet you."

"Ya should really get off his dick now, princess. We might all die."

Damien sat straight up and stared wide eyed at the man sitting in the passenger seat. "Where the fuck did you come from?"

"Five miles outside of town." Billy stuck out his hand. "Gonna shake my hand now? I've been highly anticipating meeting Jared's crazy corporate heir."

"Yeah! Hi!" Damien leaned over and shook his hand. "You're way hotter up close!"

Billy laughed at the glare Dec threw at him. "Oi, look, boyo." Billy gestured to a truck stop just down the road. "Pull over. Want some caffeine too. Better have some good tea."

Once Jared had parked, everyone but Shane and Tony got off the bus. Shane hopped off Tony and went to pull open one of the compartments under the bench against the wall and pulled out his bag. Tony remained where he was and closed his eyes. When Shane came back, he dropped back onto Tony, stomach to stomach, laughing at the glare he got.

He had a box in his hand. Tony stopped glaring.

"Yeah, I… It's all I could get. Um, I've seen you wear things like this, so I made it."

Shane slipped off him to kneel between his legs and Tony sat up too. He took the brightly wrapped package and tore into it. Inside the box was a leather corded bracelet. Three dark brown braided chords made up the wrist band and in the center was a small medallion with a dragon stamped on it.

"You made this?"

"Yeah. Stella helped me with the clasp and medallion though."

Tony took the bracelet out and fingered the medallion. He loved dragons. "This doesn't look like you made it."

"I mean, I know it's not perfect, but…"

"Shane, stop lying. You bought this."

"What? No! I swear I made this!"

"How much did you pay for this? Fifty bucks? Did Damien take you shopping with him again?"

"What are you talking about? I made it!" he ranted. "I even etched your initials on the back of the medallion!" He looked at Tony's face, seriously getting pissed, until he saw the look in his boyfriend's eyes. Tony's grin was huge. "Asshole!"

"This is sweet, Shane. I love it."

"Yeah?"

"Shut up," Tony murmured as he put it on. He cleared his throat. "You know I do. When we get home, etch you initials next to mine, okay?" Shane looked at him like he was about to cry. "C'mere, baby boy."

Riku was the first back on the bus. He looked to his left to see the two embracing and heavily lip locked. He shook his head and sort of sneered. "Do you two never stop?!"

Shane laughed happily against Tony's mouth.

* * *

A/N: So I can't seem to stop working on this story even though I should be working on my other ones. Oh well, not such a hardship for those of you who are enjoying this I guess ;) Thanks for reading and review if you can. Have a great day!

 


	32. Episode Thirty-Two

**The Sage Haze**

**Episode Thirty-Two**

 

"Bastard, are you driving straight to the mansion?"

Jared turned his head a fraction to look at Damien who was leaning into the front compartment. "Need to drop Billy off first."

Damien looked at Billy. "Drop off where?"

"I got a place set up. Just drop me off with the yakuza." Damien nodded and then disappeared. Billy whistled. "He's something. Can see the crazy in his eyes." Jared smirked. "Hasn't once given me that look."

"He knows about being underestimated. He doesn't like it either."

"Look, Dec. We need ta talk about this plan of Shrod's. Not sure it's such a good idea, yeah?"

Jared laughed. "You just don't want to put on a suit."

"Suits cramp my style."

"What style?!"

"I have style, boyo."

"You go on about people underestimating you and yet you dress for that exact purpose."

"It's for the element of surprise."

"Aside from that, we need you in to dig."

Billy straightened. "Ah, so you have figured it out."

"Yes," Jared replied lowly.

"I was afraid the corporate heir was muddling yer mind, Dec." Jared sent him one of those everlasting glares to which Billy laughed. "Still… I don't think it's a good idea."

"What's the problem? We've done this before."

Billy was silent some time, watching the scenery flash by through the window. "Will I be working closely with Toyama?"

"Best that way. You two can move around headquarters, dig that way and once you've been there a few days, Toyama can bring you to us. That's how the association will be made. You won't have to pretend to not to know us anymore. It won't be suspicious for you to socialize with us that way."

"Okay," he said after a moment, nodding to himself. "I can do that. I'm a professional," he reminded himself.

"Billy?"

"No worries. It'll get done." Billy leaned over to glance in the back, ignoring the look Dec was giving him. Everyone was towards the back, talking or reading. Or sleeping in Tony's case. Caleb was messing around with a broken computer. Riku and Ryuu were talking. Sheera was missing though.

Sometimes it was annoying he and Dec knew each other so well. But he had to admit it was great to be back together again after so long. They were essentially brothers. One time lovers, but that hadn't gone on all that long. Thank Jaysus. That would have fucked up their relationship.

When he returned back to facing front, he immediately pitched forward, his eyes going wide. "Fuck! Declan, STOP!"

Jared immediately slammed on the brakes. The bus swerved slightly and the wheels screeched to a grinding halt. Several curses came from the back, some groans. Ryuu was suddenly there, looking out and alert. And Jared already had a pistol in hand.

" _Trouble?"_

Billy ignored both of them and shoved open the passenger door to hop out. Luckily they were currently alone on the road.

"What's going on?" Caleb called from the back.

"I don't know," Jared answered as he watched Billy run around to the front of the bus and then disappear as he crouched down out of sight. "But stay where you are!"

They could hear Billy murmuring, but couldn't hear what he was saying. A couple of minutes passed before he reappeared, jumping back on board with one extra. He grinned at them as he shut the door.

" _Are you FUCKING kidding me right now, Irish?"_

"He was gonna get squished," Billy returned of the kitten he had cuddled against his chest. "Can't have that. Strange to be out here alone in the middle of nowhere. Some wanker must've ditched him."

Ryuu turned to Jared with a disbelieving look. Jared blew out a breath, shook his head, and got the bus rolling again.

"Didn't even see it."

"He-" Billy paused and lifted the tiny kitten tail. "Yeah, he was alone. No mama cat around."

" _It's a fucking cat! You scared the shit out of everyone for a fucking cat?!Aren't you supposed to be an assassin?!"_

"So? Cat's are brilliant."

Again Ryuu turned to Jared who shrugged with a small grin. "He loves animals," he explained.

"Better than people." Billy turned and shoved the very tiny kitten under Ryuu's nose. "Look how cute he is… don't be giving me that look again, yakuza," he warned. Ryuu wiped the disbelieving look away and instead settled on glaring. "Ooh. Scary look. I like a lot. Dec, find us a pet store, will ya? He's only a couple of weeks. He needs things."

When Jared nodded and pulled out his phone to search, Ryuu decided to stop being surprised by these two. Billy got up to go to the back and searched for a blanket to wrap the small trembling thing up. Ryuu blew out a breath and dropped into Billy's vacated seat.

" _You people are crazy."_

"Yeah. Yeah we probably are."

Ryuu turned away before smirking in response to that.

Billy was converged on once he'd found a blanket and settled down at the table, where he sat the bundled up kitten on top. The thing was constantly meowing. Damien sat beside him, Mai on his other side. Tony and Caleb were kneeling on the other side of the table while Shane stood beside them. Riku remained back on the couch, watching with feigned detachment.

"We have milk," Damien said. "Does he need milk?"

Billy shook his head. "Too young. We need special formula."

"You're a hero! You saved a kitty!"

"Do I get a kiss, princess?" he asked with a smirk.

"OI!" Jared shouted. "I will shoot you, Billy!"

Damien snickered and shook his head. "I don't kiss people."

"You kiss Dec."

"Jared's not people." He turned back to the kitten, who was a long hair orangey brown with black stripes and white under his chin. Only his face was visible from the blanket. "What are you going to name him?"

"Don't know yet. Gotta wait and see how he is?"

"Are you keeping him?" Shane asked.

"Sure. Didn't save him for nothing."

"He's gonna need a babysitter when you go to work," Damien said.

"I'll think of something."

"You know what this means," Damien said, looking at his friends. They grinned back at him. Billy looked around, for once confused.

"What are you on about?"

"You've got feelings!" Mai squealed.

"Dec! Your family is scaring me!"

"You're the one who nearly made me crash for a fucking kitten!"

* * *

When they found a pet store, everyone but Jared and Ryuu left the bus. Only Damien, Shane, and Mai went in with Billy. Caleb, Tony, and Riku lingered just outside the bus. Ryuu remained in the passenger seat while Jared got up to go to the back where Sheera had hidden herself away.

"I'm coming in," he said before opening the divider, knowing she wasn't sleeping. And she wasn't. He found her laying on the edge of the small bed holding a pillow up against her face. Jared cringed slightly as he knelt beside her, knowing this was going to get emotional. But he had to. He didn't like Sheera being so quiet and docile. He missed his friend the bitch.

"Sheera."

"Go away, Jared," she muttered against the pillow.

"What happened?"

"How is it any of your business?"

"Sheera, don't do this."

Sheera sat up to face him and finally pulled the pillow away from her face. Her eyes were blood shot and wet. "You saw what happened! We kissed and then…. I got scared! I said it was a mistake. I said we shouldn't see each other anymore at all. Told him to fucking leave me alone. Told him I was going to quit. When he left this morning he was so mad, Jared. He told me fine. He said he'd leave me alone. And he was so calm, so… detached. He told me not to come back to work tomorrow…" and that had really been a kick in the pants, he knew. Just repeating the words had her sobbing again.

Jared moved to sit beside her, watched her rub at her eyes. Fucking Strathom… though to be fair, the man had been very patient.

"It doesn't make sense, Jared! We're not a good match! I'm such a bitch and he's so…" she shook her head. "Why couldn't he just leave it? Why can't we be friends?"

"Neither of you want that."

"It's over now, though! He doesn't want to see me again!"

"I don't believe that."

"It's what he said!"

Jared resisted rolling his eyes. "Of course he said that! You just basically stabbed him in the heart!"

That didn't help at all. She started crying harder. Jared wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. She dropped her head on his shoulder. He lifted his arm to check his wrist watch. From the time he left Snohomish, Jake should have arrived in Allmsted by now. Been back about two hours.

"He'll call you within the hour," he said with certainty.

"How do you know that? Why would he?"

_Because the man's in love with you, obviously_ , he thought acerbically. "You know what, Sheera. We don't have time for this shit. You need to get with him before it's too late. It's what you want. You never know what's going to happen next week, right? Enjoy life. Stop being afraid of it. Stop being afraid of him because all he wants is you. He may not be here next week. None of us might. If it doesn't work out, it doesn't. Not the end of the world. At least then you would know for sure."

Instead of getting upset like he thought she would, Sheera laughed. "I said something like that to Damien when he was panicking about you. He was so afraid… because of his mental problems. He didn't think anyone could or would want to handle him."

"I love his mental problems. He makes my world colorful," he confessed.

Sheera smiled and then hugged him tightly. "I know. Thank you. For me, for Damien. For all of us, Jared."

Jared cleared his throat. "We were not speaking of me and Damien. You can't be angry at Jake for what he said today, Sheera. You know that right?"

She nodded. "Maybe I deserved it."

"Probably."

"Hey!" she dug her elbow into his side. He laughed and stood up.

"Come out of here and start being bitchy. No one's saying, but everyone's worried. I don't like it when my people are worried. Leads to mistakes."

Sheera smiled and stood. "Are we your army now?"

He smirked at her. "Pretty much."

Sheera followed him out of the back, not surprised to find everyone gone since she had heard the commotion. Knew they had stopped at a pet store. "It's pretty weird, Jared. The killer cooing over a kitten. You. You coo over guns. Normal for your type, right? A kitten?"

"Not really strange," Jared replied as he retook the driver's seat. Ryuu was still there, slumped in the passenger seat. Looked like he was sleeping. "He's a normal bloke. Just likes killing people on occasion. He likes to spy more than kill though. Can hardly ever get him off his computer most times."

"You guys are really close, huh?"

"Since we were boys."

Sheera leaned in and smirked at him. "Damien says you two fucked at one point."

Ryuu's eyes popped wide open. Jared pretended not to notice this. "Sure. We were kids though. At the time we thought, why not?"

After a moment, Sheera's smile drifted away and she gave him a hard look. "That's all it was?"

"Sheera, don't give me that look. I'm not about to jump into bed with him again. That's never going to happen. It was years and years ago. We like the way things are now. It's like… Damien and Tony, yeah?"

Upon that comparison, Sheera got it and her severe look disappeared. "Does he still like guys though?"

Jared snorted. "Birds or blokes. It's never made much of a difference for him. Why?"

"Only curious, I guess. He's gonna stick with us for a while. Be nice to know about him. Damien knows your story. Ever going to tell us?"

He didn't really want to go over that again. "Ask Damien to tell you."

"What about his story?"

"His is kind of different. Unlike myself, he never really had a family. Didn't start off with a family like I did. He had been in an orphanage for nearly six years, since he was three before… before he was recruited." Jared looked out the window. "That's all I'm gonna say, Sheera."

"No. I understand. He's pretty funny."

"He's a good bloke, for the most part."

Sheera leaned over and knuckled Ryuu's arm, grinning. "Just like this guy, huh?" Ryuu stopped pretending to be asleep and slightly glared at her. "Well… you're sweet to me anyway."

"You have grown into a beautiful woman with an attitude of a tiger. Why would I not be?"

"See?" she smiled cheekily at him. "Smart too."

"Are we going anytime soon, Newton?" Ryuu demanded as he straightened in his seat. "All this for a kitten?"

"Shut up. He doesn't get many pleasures in life," Jared answered with a glare.

" _Maybe if he'd stop being so fucking antisocial,"_ Ryuu muttered.

"What's it matter to you?"

Ryuu shrugged.

Thirty minutes later, those who'd gone into the pet store returned with a shopping cart loaded with purchases. Ryuu's people had already caught up to them at that point and were parked at the opposite end of the parking lot. Ryuu had given them permission to go grab a bite to eat at the diner in the shopping center while they waited.

Jared groaned upon seeing the cart and then he shook his head in exasperation seeing Mai was the one pushing the cart while the three guys were trailing her. Billy in the middle with the wrapped up kitten tight against his chest. Both Shane and Damien leaning into him, rubbing the kitten on his head. Shane was talking a mile a minute with Billy speaking back and Damien was grinning hugely at the animal. Billy didn't look exactly comfortable with Shane and Damien being so comfortable with him.

"Is the cat royalty?" Ryuu wanted to know.

Sheera laughed and watched as Riku appeared and hurried over to take over the cart for Mai.

"Your man," Billy declared to Jared upon facing him, "named him Dr. Evil. You tell him that's not on."

"Why don't you?"

"I did! The bloke wouldn't listen!"

Jared laughed. "Yeah, that's Damien."

" _What do you want to name him? Sweet cakes?"_

Billy turned to Ryuu. Stared at him hard. "Your tone is wrong."

"My tone is never wrong, Irish."

"What's your fecking problem?" he snapped back.

Ryuu sneered at him and opened the door to jump out. _"Fucking ridiculous!"_ he snapped before slamming the door shut. He stood just on the other side and pulled out his phone. A moment later they could hear him snapping out orders to whomever he called.

Billy spun around and headed straight for the back room, shutting the divider.

Sheera turned to Jared with a raised brow. "I thought they were getting along."

"Seemed that way to me."

"Clearly not."

Jared ran a hand through his hair. "He's not used to this. Billy. Being surrounded by people who know about him. Who know and aren't like him and yet don't care. Where everything is sort of normal. Where he doesn't have to pretend."

Mai ventured to the back of the bus, knocked on the divider. She had a tiny bottle in hand. "Billy? I made the formula for you."

The divider opened. A hand appeared and took the bottle. Billy muttered a thanks before shutting himself away again. Jared knew he wouldn't come back out unless trouble came along or until it was time to drop him off.

"Sheera!" her cousin called. "Your phone's going off. It's Jake!"

Sheera straightened, glanced at Jared, who had a smug smirk on his face. She turned and walked over to where Shane was sitting beside Tony. She sunk down to sit between Tony's legs and took her phone and then turned it off.

"Sheera!" snapped Jared. "Really?"

Sheera's face hardened. Stubbornness setting in. Jared shook his head. "Toyama! Let's go!"

* * *

Once reaching Allmsted, Jared pulled the bus over and parked at the curb a block away from Mai's mother's house. Billy came out of the back with the kitten, grabbed up his bag, and disembarked without saying a word to anyone.

"He's just gonna leave all this stuff?" Shane asked of the kitten purchases.

"I'll be seeing him later," Jared replied. "I'll bring it. Listen," he said to Ryuu and Riku. "I'm flying to Arizona tomorrow. Can't get out of it. You need to keep your eyes open. Report anything that looks odd, suspicious. You especially," he said to Ryuu. "At the company. Pay attention. Learn all you can. Work well with Billy. We need to find out who she's got with her. We'll keep in touch."

Ryuu nodded and then he and Riku got off. The two stood back and watched the bus pull away.

"Wait here. I will be back in a minute," Ryuu told Riku.

"Where are you going?"

"Wait here."

Ryuu went off, jogging down the sidewalk. They were in a residential area. Most of it was apartments, but there were some commercial establishments around. He rounded the corner and was relieved to see Billy hadn't made himself disappear. He was walking at a slowish pace, looking around. Ryuu easily caught up and fell into step beside him.

"Yeah?" Billy asked without looking at him.

"I want to apologize. For earlier. That was uncalled for. I do not know why I…"

"No worries, mate." He sounded like he didn't care one way or the other and still he didn't look at him.

Ryuu stamped down on the frustration. He took hold of Billy's sleeve and stopped, forcing Billy to stop as well. Billy's eye twitched and he quickly let go of him, but at least now he had the guy's attention. _"Riku and I are gonna get something to eat. You should come."_ Billy was going to refuse. That was clear as day as well as expected. "We're going to be working closely together. This is our back story. We come from the same place. We need to learn to be comfortable with each other, Irish."

Billy looked away, scanning the street, the buildings, the people around. "I don't want to go out anywhere."

Ryuu stepped back. Nodding. He didn't quite keep the disappointment off his face.

"I don't understand you. Why do you want to know me so much?"

Ryuu shrugged as he turned and started walking away. _"Guess cause you're different. Catch you later, dumbass."_

"Oi, fucker! Uncalled for!"

Ryuu threw a smirk at him over his shoulder. Billy watched him walk away and when he rounded the corner, he looked down at the kitten. He frowned when Dr. Evil meowed pitifully. "Bad idea, kitty." Dr. Evil meowed again. Billy sighed in defeat and walked after the hot yakuza. "Oi!"

Ryuu looked surprised when Billy ran round the corner to catch up to him. "Guess I could eat something," he said when he caught up. "But I gotta keep Dr. Evil with me and I need to be at my new place when Dec shows up."

" _You're really keeping that thing?"_

"Sure. Couldn't leave him out there. It's too cold. He would die. He's too young to be by himself."

Ryuu stared at him, and after a moment shook his head and smiled. _"We can go back to your place if you want. I'll make something to eat. Doubt you can cook."_

"Your cousin's coming too, right?" Ryuu nodded and Billy blew out a breath. "Yeah. Sounds good. We can catch a cab two blocks down."

"Riku, come." They started walking. "You are calling it Dr. Evil?"

Billy laughed. "Damn yank. Yeah. It's kind of grown on me, even though it's not really original. I like it."

"Ru-san, I want to explore."

"Later."

Billy looked around Ryuu at Riku. "You gotta piece, pretty boy?"

"Just a knife."

"Does he know how to use a firearm?"

"I know how to shoot."

"He needs a piece here," he told Ryuu.

"I will find him one."

They eventually caught a cab and headed downtown. Billy managed to land a place in the same building as Damien, though he knew that was Dec and Shrod's doing. Made sense too. The closer he was, the easier it would be to watch Damien's back. Unfortunately, the others who had just been given condos were not in this building, but he wasn't going to let that stop him from watching their backs 24/7.

"Can I help you gentlemen?" the man at the reception desk called out the moment they stepped inside.

Billy put on a winning smile and walked over to the desk. "Yeah, hi," he greeted, his accent disappearing in lieu of an American one. Riku looked at his cousin with raised brows. Ryuu just watched Billy. "I'm a new tenant. I was told you'd have my keys and info ready for me. Name's James Reynolds."

"May I see your identification, Mr. Reynolds?" the bloke asked as he eyed the wrapped up kitten Billy rested on the counter.

"Sure. What do you need?" Billy asked as he rummaged in his jacket for his wallet. "License? Social Security card? Passport?"

"All three if you have them on you."

Billy tossed his license and social onto the desk and then pulled his backpack around to fish out his passport. The man took all three, studied them carefully, and then handed back the passport.

"If you'll wait a minute, I need to make a copy of these for our records and I'll have your new tenant packet."

"Not a problem."

The moment the guy disappeared through a door directly behind him- some sort of office- Billy leaned fully over the counter, gave a quick look around and then pressed something to the back of the computer screen and telephones. Another door was located about five feet down from the other one. Billy eyed it. He would need to get in there at some point soon. It probably had the security feed.

He turned around, placing a steady hand on Dr. Evil and studied the security cameras set up around Reception. There were four. Two aimed at the doors and two towards the lifts. There were three lifts. Two regulars and then the third, which the doors were a reddish color. This one had a key pad. He knew this was solely used for those who occupied the Penthouse or for the visitors going up top, but those visitors had to have the code given to them by said occupant.

Billy turned back just as the man returned. The bloke was smiling at him now. "Sorry about the wait, here you go." And he handed back the cards and placed a fat envelope on the counter. "On Monday you will need to come down to the office sometime before closing to sign a few things. Will this be a problem?"

"Nope."

"Great." The guy rummaged in a drawer and pulled out two keys on a key ring. He handed those to Billy. "My name is Richard. Should you need anything, don't hesitate to call down here. Glad to have you with us."

"Thanks." Billy placed the envelope under his arm and scooped Dr. Evil up. He walked over to the lifts where Ryuu and pretty boy met him. Once they were in the lifts and the doors closed, he punched number eleven.

"What did you put-"

"Zip it, pretty boy," Billy said as he eyed the camera set up in the lift.

Ryuu turned to Riku. "Wait," he murmured.

Billy lifted a hand to the control panel to see if he could jimmy it open with a finger even as his eyes drifted to the ceiling, checking out alternative entrances and exits. The control panel was sealed tight. He'd need tools to get in there. If he needed to. Getting into the elevator shaft would be easy.

Once on the eleventh floor, they only had to walk a short distance to 1103. Billy wasn't exactly thrilled to be so close to the lifts. There weren't any cameras on this floor, at least not visible from the lift or from outside his door.

"Don't say a word," he murmured as he unlocked the door.

The apartment he obtained was already furnished, which saved him a lot of hassle from moving shite in. However it also made it necessary to thoroughly check the place first. Once inside and the door locked behind them, Billy transferred Dr. Evil over to Ryuu and crossed the short space to the coffee table behind a crème colored sofa. He slightly sneered at the thing. He didn't like crème colored. He dropped to his knees and set his back pack on top before digging in.

Riku snorted out a laugh at the picture of his cousin standing there staring down at the kitten in his arms. But the laugh abruptly cut off from the glare Billy sent him. Billy pulled out some sort of small rectangular device with antennae and set that on the table. He pushed a button and messed with a dial for a minute before returning to his feet. Within hand he held a smaller device with a glowing green light on one end. And then he went about the entire apartment, scanning from top to bottom. He searched every nook and cranny. Opened doors, closed blinds, turned on lights, checked under furniture and potted plants. Even the toilets in the bathrooms. Everywhere.

"Okay pretty boy, you can talk now," he announced when he came back in from the back bedroom and went straight back to his bag to unload his laptop and set that up in the kitchen. He lived in kitchens.

"What did you do downstairs?"

"Bugs. And a nifty little thing that will allow me to hack their computers. Hopefully. If not I'll have to get a little bit closer."

"But I did not see anything in your hand."

"If you could see it, then so would they eventually." He looked at Ryuu. "Didn't you say something about food?"

"What would you like?" the yakuza holding the adorable kitten questioned.

Billy stared at him holding Dr. Evil and wondered if Ryuu wanted him to be completely honest. Probably not. The bloke would freak out. "Chinese food?" he laughed when both of them made disgusted faces. "Anything. You decide. You're making it, yeah?"

Ryuu shoved Dr. Evil into Riku's arms and walked into the kitchen. Opening cabinets, checking out what was in the drawers. He already knew there was no food in the place. "I need pen and paper."

Billy pointed into the living room. "Bring me my bag, wouldja?"

Riku grabbed the bag and dropped it on the table beside him. Billy glared slightly. "You do know there are grenades in here, right?" he laughed when Riku hastened back at least ten feet. "Greenie."

Billy fished around in the bag, pulled out two grenades and set them aside, pulled out a couple of knives, also set those aside, a pistol, some rope, and finally a pad of paper and a pen.

" _Holy shit, I thought you were joking,"_ Ryuu said.

"It'll get better when Dec brings me my gear. Pretty boy, here," he said, handing out the pistol. "You can have this for now. Careful, it's loaded. So don't go fucking shootin yerself in the face."

"I know how to handle a gun, Billy."

Billy grinned at Ryuu. "Think the kid likes me! Using my name now."

" _Only cause you gave him a piece, Irish,"_ Ryuu replied as he snatched the pen and paper away from the grenades.

"Don't shoot Dr. Evil either!"

Riku snorted as he went into the living room to sit on the couch and inspect his new piece with the kitten still held in his arm.

" _I'm gonna go get you some shit for your kitchen,"_ Ryuu announced after dashing out a list on the paper. " _Mind if Riku stays put?"  
_

"No. Don't take all day though, wanker. Starving here. Bring some booze too."

"Already on the list."

Once Ryuu was gone, Billy moved over to join Riku in the living room and took Dr. Evil for another feeding, pulling a small bottle out of the pocket of his jacket.

* * *

"Easy, Jared! You're driving a bus!" Caleb shouted after the third sharp turn that had all of them nearly falling out of their seats. "Why the fuck are you driving like a maniac now?"

In the passenger seat, Damien grinned knowingly.

"Better not be a joke, princess. If it is…"

"That would be beyond cruel, bastard. I love you too much to do that."

Jared's hands tightened on the wheel. That was the second time Damien had said it so easily, without hesitation.

He managed to get to the mansion without killing any pedestrians but he very nearly ran through the gate when it wasn't opened fast enough for him. He drove down the lane and instead of taking the path that led straight to the front doors, veered down the path to the left that led around to the back of the mansion where the massive garage was located.

Only two vehicles were outside of the garage when they pulled up. One was black and had a big ridiculous green and red bow on top of it. Jared swung the bus over and parked it to the side before jumping out without even turning off the ignition. He half jogged half walked towards the car, groaning and unlocked the door using the key chain. Slipping into the driver's seat, he hugged the steering wheel, dropping his cheek to it, and groaned again.

Damien's smile was huge as he followed after him. Once caught up he shut the driver door and rounded the R8 to slide inside beside him. "Jared, turn her on and rev her up," he demanded.

Jared did as was instructed and then groaned again. The R8 was a monster. A beautiful monster. He hadn't ever heard a more beautiful sound from a street legal car. A hand then slipped into his lap and he groaned for another reason all together.

Damien laughed. "Don't think you've ever been this hard for me."

Jared grabbed a hand full of dark hair and jerked Damien towards him. "Stupid talk," he growled against his lover's upturned lips.

The flash of a camera didn't disturb him, and neither did the second one. He was too busy enjoying this car and Damien, whose hand had not left his lap and he really would find some way to fuck Damien in this vehicle.

Shane snickered as he turned away but Mai kept right on with the pictures because she knew the two would enjoy having them. He walked over to the truck in which Tony was inspecting every inch. He had an excited boyish grin on his face. Shane couldn't blame him. It was a sweet truck. Dark blue, back seat, all the amenities.

"Shane, c'mere. It's yours too."

"Nu uh. This is yours. The house is mine."

"Gonna be like that, huh?" Tony laughed as he rounded the truck to stand in front of him.

"Pretty much, yeah," Shane said with a grin.

"Do me a favor. Climb into the backseat and lay on your back. Let's see how that works."

"I wanna go visit the house first. Let's go make this decision."

"You just said-"

"Tony, you know it's ours. It can't be anything else."

"Ditto on this truck, babe."

"Yeah? Can I drive it to the house then?"

Tony looked at the truck, shifted. He kind of looked pained when he answered. "I… guess."

Shane's face lit up like Christmas. "Wow. That's love. No sweat, dude. You can drive it first."

"STOP THAT BULLSHIT NOW!" Shrod suddenly yelled. Bellowing in through the open window of the driver's side door of the R8. No one had seen him coming.

"Don't take your sexual frustrations out on us, Daddy!" Damien snapped back. "It's your own fault! Jared's happy so leave us alone!"

Shrod straightened and very calmly started to walk around the car towards the passenger side. Damien very wisely somehow shimmied over Jared's lap to climb out that way and then raced away to the bus, locking the doors.

Jared smirked to himself. See? It can be done. He wiped the smirk clean when Shrod slid into the passenger seat.

"I've rescheduled your meeting in Tuscan for Tuesday," Shrod announced.

"Brilliant."

"You need at least a day or so to get settled back, get things… sorted."

"Yeah, thanks. Being here for Billy and Toyama's Orientation would be wise as well."

"Don't thank me. Just get it done."

"What's crawled up your arse, old man?"

"You think this is a game?" Shrod demanded. "You think all this is fucking funny?"

"Don't forget I'm the professional in this situation, Shrod," Jared returned lowly. "Don't ever fucking forget that because you know I never do!" Shrod pulled in a deep breath and turned to look out the windscreen. There was something on his face, in his eyes that had Jared calming down. "What is it? What happened?"

Shrod pulled out a folded piece of paper from his trouser pocket. "Found this waiting for me when I got back. It was faxed over." He passed it over to Jared.

"I'm coming for him," Jared read. "His terrified face will be the last thing you'll ever see."

Shrod balled his hands onto his knees. "You know the worst part. The worst part is she knows what she does to him. Even at the age he is, she knows she can still terrorize him. She revels in the trauma she's caused. What kind of person, Jared. What kind of person is that?"

_But how does she know?_ Jared wondered. "A monster."

"Will you stay with him?"

"I'll move in tomorrow."

"If something does happen to me, I need you to-"

"Shrod, I don't want to hear this."

Shrod smiled slightly. "We took a chance on each other, right? When I hired you, knowing exactly who you were. But I also knew exactly where you came from. It took a lot for you to finally trust me."

"I do trust you. But I still can't figure out how you knew me."

"I'm going to tell you something. It should be enough for you to formulate the rest. I met your father, Declan. He was in construction, wasn't he? Architecture. He was looking to expand in the states. He'd come here before, hadn't he? When you were little. You'll figure out the rest.

"The point is, you know your life is safe in my hands," Shrod went on. "I would die before giving up your secrets. You know that. Jared, I need you to promise to always look after my son, even if things don't work out between you two. I need your promise."

"Nothing's going to happen to you."

"You better fucking promise me right now, boy!"

"I fucking promise!" Jared barked around the lump in his throat. "I needlessly promise. And when this is all over, you'll still be alive and Damien will be safe. And down the road I'm going to marry the crazy arse and further down the line we'll adopt a baby girl and turn you into a grandfather and that's how it's going to fucking happen, old man. You're going to be around to see it all!"

Shrod laughed. Sounded like he had something stuck in his throat too. "A baby girl."

Jared nodded. "It's gotta be a girl the first time. I think Damien would respond better to a girl baby."

The man peered at him, looking slightly surprised. "You've thought a lot about that."

Jared cleared his throat and pushed open the door to climb out, refusing to answer that. "I need to pack up and head to Billy's." He saw Damien peeking out through the window and waved him out of the bus.

"Make sure he gets a haircut, Jared. It's too unruly."

Jared winced. Billy wasn't going to like that. "I think we should switch him over to the HQ IT department."

"Let's give it a week, until Orientation is over. After which if you still think that's best, we'll do it. By the way, if Mai's people need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"Actually I was thinking of letting Riku borrow a bike. From what I've gathered, he's clever, can be sneaky. Seeing him on a bike wouldn't be cause for alarm bells either. He can get around fast. Plus it wouldn't be such a weird thing to see at the University."

"Have at it."

Only when Shrod disappeared inside did Damien reappear. "I need to get to Billy's. All his stuff will fill up the car so I'll need you to ride a bike."

"K. No problem. Don't worry about my stuff either. I can pick it up later or tomorrow."

"Pick out a bike for Riku. We'll let him use it while he's here."

"Ooh. Good idea! Do you know how many chicks he'll get with that thing?!"

"Princess, it's not about women."

Damien looked at him funny. "He's twenty and he's yakuza. Yeah. It's all about girls right now."

"Hey?" Caleb called. "How are we supposed to get home? My jeep's at Dame's place."

"So's my car," Sheera reminded.

"We'll take you," Tony announced. "Everyone in."

So they took off and while Damien went to pick out and gas up a bike, Jared unloaded all of Billy's stuff from the bus. And not just the kitten stuff. But the other luggage in the luggage compartment that no one had seen before. Lots of bad ass toys in the luggage compartment.

It didn't take long before Tony pulled into the parking lot of the high rise. Caleb, Mai, and Sheera got out. After saying good bye and watching the two in the truck take off again, Caleb, Mai, and Sheera separated to their respective vehicles. Mai watched Sheera walk off with a frown.

"Let it go for now, baby. She needs time to herself I think. It's been a whirlwind of a couple of weeks."

"Yes. You're probably right."

"I'm always right!"

Mai giggled and climbed into the jeep. "Want to go check out our new place?"

"Actually I was kind of hoping you'd want to do that tomorrow."

"Yeah. I'm tired."

Sheera watched them drive away. Then she climbed out of her car and headed straight for Damien's elevator. She couldn't go home now. Jake was there, as told by the message her mom left her. Jake was there waiting for her and she didn't have the courage to see him right now.

* * *

"Wait! Tony, stop!"

Tony pulled over to the curb. "Please tell me you don't see a kitten."

Shane laughed and hopped out of the sweet truck. He looked both ways before sprinting across the road. "Hey!" he lurched forward to grab at a couple of bags that were headed for the ground.

" _Otouto-san,"_ Ryuu murmured, nodding his thanks when Shane took another bag from him. He had unwisely purchased too much before remembering he had to walk the whole way back carrying everything.

"What are you doing, Ru-san?"

"Irish needed a few things."

"Few?" he arched a brow. Ryuu had eight bags over flowing with stuff. "Why didn't you catch a cab?"

Ryuu cleared his throat. He hadn't thought about it. "I do not like the American taxi service."

Shane shook his head. "How the hell did you manage to get this far carrying all of this?"

"I am skilled?"

Shane laughed. "You're awesome." He took two more bags, turned and started back across the street. "Come on. We'll give you a ride."

Ryuu followed after. It wasn't so dangerous for them to be seen together. He was Mai's brother after all. So it was reasonable to assume they would know each other. It was Billy everyone had to pretend with until he became part of the company and had worked there a few days.

"Hey, dude," Tony greeted when he slipped inside. "What's all this?"

"He says it's for the Irish. I'm assuming that's Billy."

"He needs stuff."

Tony looked over his shoulder at Ryuu, raising an eyebrow.

"You have something to say?" Ryuu snapped.

Tony just shook his head and concentrated on doing a U-turn. Ryuu glared until his phone started vibrated. _"Yeah?"_

"Where the bleeding hell are ya? We're starving here, mate! And I just got a call from Dec. He'll be here soon so ya better get to stepping. I've got a shit load of work to do tonight."

Ryuu pulled the cell from his ear and stared at the phone. That voice in his ear…he cleared his throat again. _"On my way now."_

There was a long pause and then, "you're being way too polite with me."

" _Didn't think you wanted it any other way."_

"I like your dirty mouth, yakuza." Click.

* * *

"So… um," Billy started as he came back into the living room. "Your cousin got a girlfriend?"

Riku snorted as he continued to pet Dr. Evil. Those two had become fast friends. "No."

"Intended?"

" _No way. Ru-san's not playing that game. He chooses who he wants. Ojii-san says it's okay."_

"Funny how that's okay, but it's not okay for Mai to find her own. Funny as in it's not really funny. Ryuu's a hypocrite."

Riku nodded. _"It's only cause he wants her to come home. Got any snacks?"_

Billy eyed him and then slapped him upside the head. "Eejit."

" _Hey! What the hell?"_

Billy just shook his head as he wandered over to the balcony. He slightly moved the blinds out of the way, looking out. It was dark now. The city lights on everywhere. Buildings surrounded this one. He needed his gear. He needed to start surveillance before he could really relax. He needed to know who exactly was around him.

"Pretty boy. Go sit in the kitchen."

Riku did as he asked without question. Once Riku was out of the line of sight, Billy halfway moved the lateral shades away and opened the balcony door. He liked it up here. He liked the noise that instantly surrounded him, the sights and smells of a big city. He walked to the front edge and peered down. He could just see the balcony below his. It was dark. He wondered if it were empty. He would soon find out.

He moved to one side of the balcony, looked up and down, across. He definitely had a neighbor in 1105. Three ladies sat on the balcony. They were sipping daiquiris it looked like. About his age, maybe a little less. All three gorgeous. Yeah. Blokes would kill to be in his position right about now. It was just too bad- and fucking annoying- that he wasn't interested this time around. Less than two weeks ago he would have been. He'd never had a rule about not playing while on a job.

He moved back inside when one of them spotted him. He caught the curious interest in her eyes just before he stepped back in. His stomach growled at the same moment someone knocked on the door. Four knocks. He was not expecting to find Ryuu standing there with more than one bag in hand.

"Honestly?"

"What? You need stuff!"

"You're an arsehole," Billy muttered as he grabbed four of the bags.

" _You're fucking welcome!"_

"I'm not… I'm not ungrateful, Ryuu. You just... you don't need to be doing this for me."

" _Calm down, Irish,"_ Ryuu muttered as he pushed past to get into the kitchen. _"Won't ever do it again."_

"Shit!" Billy moved to take a stand on the other side of the kitchen island. "No, look…"

Ryuu rounded on him. _"I get it! You watch everyone else's back. No one gets to watch yours."_

"Yeah! The last thing I want is your blood on my hands!"

" _Now you're questioning my fucking skills?! Do I look like a fucking infant? What's the problem, Irish?"_

Riku was still sitting at the kitchen table, still petting the kitten. Watching with wide eyes. They seemed to have forgotten he was even there. Then he smirked in realization and lifted Dr. Evil's ear to his lips. _"They want to fuck,"_ he whispered. The kitten meowed. Ryuu's recent behavior made so much more sense now. He was sweet on the Irish. He had a feeling Ryuu didn't really realize it yet though. He was making the moves on autopilot.

"I mean… what is this shit?" Billy pulled a bag to him and pulled out a frying pan. "A pan? A fucking pan?! I've already got a pan!"

" _You aren't actually gonna use something the building management supplies, are you? That's fucking nasty!"_

"So I'm not supposed to sleep on the mattress either then?"

" _Fuck no! Hurry up and get your own!"_

That seemed to drain the anger out of Billy and he started laughing. "For fuck's sake, Ryuu! The furnishings are all new. I paid for a furnished apartment. Means I'm paying for all new stuff." Ryuu then tried really hard to not look embarrassed. Billy didn't want him feeling that way. "Look, I can always use the extra pans as weapons, yeah?" When Riku snorted, he turned to him. "You laugh but I aint fucking joking."

Ryuu turned away at the sink. "Can I cook now?"

Billy stared at the back of his head. "Have at it."

"Hey, can I see your tattoos?" Riku questioned.

"Right now?" Billy questioned as he rummaged in the bags to find the drink. He needed a fucking drink. The nerve of Toyama. Doing all this… being so fucking… whatever! "Is it really that important?"

"Just want a look," Riku mumbled.

Billy's eyes brightened when he finally found the bag with the two six packs. "Yeah, sure. Hold on." He popped a top and chugged half a beer before setting it aside.

He then removed his sweater and then his undershirt. He had the same tattoo on his back as Dec did, as well as the branded shamrock on his hip with the three symbols beneath. But he also had his shoulders inked as well. Ancient Celt designs that tied in to Paganism.

Ryuu nearly cut his finger off when he turned away from the celery he was chopping to glance over. His expression matched his cousins. Billy was cut. He was nothing but wiry muscle. _"What the fuck, Irish!"_

Billy spun around to stare at Ryuu. That didn't help Ryuu at all. His front looked even better. "What?"

"No wonder he knocked Aiko out! Right, Ru-san? You hide good," Riku said to Billy.

Ryuu smirked at him. _"Don't get much sun, do you?"_

"Shuddup," Billy muttered and pulled his shirt back on.

It wasn't long before another four knocks sounded at the door. "Thank Jesus," he muttered and went to wrench it open. He tensed for one moment when he was faced with a guy whose face was obscured by the ball cap pulled low over his eyes. The guy flicked the cap up higher and Billy stopped reaching for the pistol at his back. Dec was dressed in that cap, jeans, sneakers, and a button up shirt. He had two duffel bags and two hard cases at his feet.

"Finally! Dressed down."

"I was assuming you haven't got the cameras under your control yet?"

"Right you are, boyo," Billy answered as he grabbed two of the bags. Jared grabbed the others and followed, looking surprised when he saw Ryuu and Riku were there. "Where's princess?"

"Went straight up. I already scrubbed his place." He then pulled out his phone and texted Damien that Riku was there. He waited for the reply before saying anything else. "Riku, you're coming down with us. Damien will meet us. He's got something for you."

"Watch Dr. Evil," Billy told Ryuu as they headed for the door. He was then flipped off.

"What now?" Jared demanded the moment they were on the lift.

"Nothing."

Riku snorted and Billy glared at him.

"You're supposed to be getting along."

"We are."

Again Riku snorted and shook his head.

"You are one snort away from losing that piece," Billy muttered.

They got down to the garage and Jared directed Riku over to where Damien was waiting. Billy and Jared headed in the opposite direction.

Billy whistled upon seeing the R8. "Wouldja look at that, man? That's not even being sold yet! Ya think the owner would get mad if I were to take her for a midnight spin?"

"I would. Yeah," Jared announced as he pulled out the key and unlocked it.

Billy laughed. "You lucky bastard!"

"He loves me."

Billy stopped laughing. "Shrod… he bought you a car?"

"For Christmas," Jared announced with a huge smile. "My Christmas present."

"No fucking way."

"Yeah."

Billy then went about inspecting the thing, Jared doing the same. Both acting like little boys over it and Damien could see them from across the way. Again he couldn't stop smiling. It was nice seeing them like that. Seeing Jared with Billy. Clearly they had a really good relationship and he knew how happy Jared was to have Billy there with him again.

"Shrod?"

Damien turned to Riku, who was eyeing the motorcycle. He lay a hand on the handle of the sleek black and blue crotch rocket. "You can use this while you're in Allmsted if you want."

" _Bad ass! Thanks!"_ Riku took the helmet Damien was holding out to him and immediately put it on. He didn't hesitate to get on the bike and start her up.

"Just be careful!"

Riku nodded as he backed the bike up and then he was gone, zooming out of the parking garage and into the city.

It took two trips before all of Billy's stuff was safely secured in his apartment. Damien went back to his apartment, knowing Sheera was there, while Jared hung down with Billy for a time.

"Your cousin took off," Billy told Ryuu when they'd gone back up for the last time. He pulled out two more beers. Set one next to Ryuu, who was cooking up something that smelled awesome, and then handed the other to Dec who took it with a nod of thanks and then went off to inspect the place.

"Took off where?"

"Dunno. Shrod gave him a motorcycle and he took off. He'll be fine," he said in response to Ryuu's look. He approached the man and eyed what was in the pan. "If this tastes as brilliant as it smells, you can come back every day and do this."

" _Like I said before. Won't ever do it again."_

That was fair. He deserved that. Ryuu had put himself out there by being nice and he basically kicked the bloke in the face for it. "Lighten up."

Ryuu faced him. _"That's funny, coming from you."_

Billy dropped his hazel eyes to the counter, his brown hair obscuring his face from Ryuu's view. His hair was a chestnut color but in some places it was lighter. He started picking at the counter edge with a finger. "I…"

Ryuu got the sense he didn't apologize much; didn't know how. He lightly bumped into him, smirking. _"Don't worry about it, Irish. It's forgotten."_

Billy's eyes flashed up to his. They were nearly the same height. Billy just a few inches shorter. And then Billy flashed a grin and nodded.

"Everything seems to be secure here," Jared announced where he stood in the middle of the living room, staring at them. Staring at Billy knowingly.

Billy cleared his throat and backed away. "No so much. Need to set things up."

"Let's get to it."

"Does the place have security guards? Haven't seen them."

"Yeah. One patrols around the grounds and the parking lots. Every couple of hours. One patrols inside, but doesn't really patrol the floors unless there's a disturbance."

"What about the video feed room? Someone constantly monitors those?"

"No. Again, not unless there is a problem."

"Brilliant. What about at the reception desk."

"Someone is always there."

"Not so brilliant."

"The bloke down there now takes frequent breaks."

"Again, perfect." They moved over to sit at the kitchen table. "The blue prints you sent me? They're complete, yeah?"

"Of course."

Billy nodded and went on to pull those up. "It's gonna take me all night to set this place up. I may need distractions."

"I'm staying with Damien. Won't be a problem. Moving in tomorrow. Shrod received this via fax today, Billy." He handed over the fax. "The man is scared. Not for himself. For Damien."

"What did Damien ever do to her?"

"Nothing," Jared answered lowly. "He was just born."

"Snap her neck good, Dec."

"I plan on it."

There was a lull in conversation, as Billy studied the blue prints, eyes narrowed in concentration. Jared watched Ryuu handle the kitchen like a freaking world class chef. Though he wasn't surprised by this, he could see Billy was.

"Dec," whispered Billy when Ryuu started plating. "What the fuck is that? He's the heir right?"

"One of them," Jared returned just as quietly. "You've never been around a working yakuza clan. He started at the bottom just like the rest of them, even being an heir. Means chore work. Basically being a servant as a junior and working up the ladder. At home, he always cooks for the family. Even when he doesn't need to now."

" _My hearing is keen, assholes,"_ Ryuu surprised them by saying. _"You could have just asked me,"_ he went on to Billy.

"And miss out on the chance to piss you off? Nah."

Ryuu laughed and shook his head.

Jared sat back and smirked at his friend. "You've got that itch, don't you?"

"Shuddup, Mr. Corporate."

Jared studied the side of his face. "It's not just an itch. You fancy-"

"I said. SHUDDUP!" Billy jumped to his feet and hurried into the living room to mess about with his gear. He pulled out Dr. Evil's stuff first. He needed another feeding. "Can't believe your man bought all this stuff for _my_ kitten," he murmured as he pulled out a small cat bed, cat clothes, half a dozen kitten bottles, three books, a blanket etc…

"Damien likes to buy things for people. I think he likes spending his money on others more than on himself."

"Great quality but Dr. Evil doesn't need all this shite!"

Jared laughed. "Dr. Evil…"

"It took!"

"Come eat," Ryuu demanded as he brought two plates over to the table. He closed the laptop, ignored Jared's wide eyes and quick shake of the head, and moved that over to the higher counter top/bar. Billy turned just in time to see him do this. Jared was then floored when all Billy did was shake his head and go back to finding the formula.

_Definitely not just an itch_ , he though in shock.

Ryuu brought one more plate to the table and sat beside Jared. _"Irish, come fucking eat!"_

"Inna bloody second!"

Billy quickly made the formula, scooped Dr. Evil up and took his place at the table. Jared pointed to the food on his plate. "Good."

Ryuu smirked. Billy made sure the kitten had taken to the bottle before looking at his. He hissed through his teeth. "This is too pretty, mate. Can't touch this."

" _You want a knife fight on your hands?"_

Billy laughed and dug in. "Wait a tic… Where's the meat?" he demanded.

_"There's no meat. I don't usually cook with meat. It's not good for you."_

Billy dropped his fork. "Right, that's it. This partnership is done!"

* * *

"It's better than what I was expecting," Shane announced.

Beside him, Tony nodded.

"I was expecting something…"

"Too large and too rich and not us."

"Yeah, but this looks nice."

From the outside anyway. It was a small one story house. Nice front yard, not too big. They were standing in the yard. A path ran from the street curb through the middle of the lawn and to three steps which led up to the front door. The porch wrapped halfway across the front. That was nice too. Two large windows took up most of the front. Shane was assuming that was the living room.

"Want to go in?" Tony asked.

Shane nodded and closed the short distance to the door. He blew out a breath and unlocked the door. Once opened they were faced with a small foyer. They walked through that and slightly to the left which opened out into the living room. To the far left of that was another hall, but directly to the right was the kitchen and the doors leading to the backyard and the garage.

The house had three bedrooms. One just slightly bigger than the other two. A master bathroom connected to the largest bedroom and then a guest bathroom was located next to the first guest bedroom.

"So. Our bedroom, a guest bed, and…what?" Tony questioned where they stood just outside of one of these rooms. He lifted his arms and planted his elbows on Shane's shoulders from behind.

"Office or gym?"

"I'm gonna leave that up to you."

"Well… I've got the gym at school and I can run around the neighborhood. You're still on the swim team till summer but you also have to work on your thesis, so you'll probably need it more for that."

Tony groaned and turned away. "Thanks for reminding me."

"You've already started it. It's not such a horror."

"Starting it and finishing it are two very different things, Shane."

Shane spun around and followed after him. "It'll be awesome, dude!"

Tony smiled, actually comforted by his boyfriend's enthusiasm. But of course that was one of the best things about Shane. His enthusiasm about everything. How could anyone not fall in love with this guy?

They went to the garage next. Big enough for one vehicle and enough room to fix shelving on the walls. Also another fridge. The backyard was next. It was a little larger than the front yard. They both immediately loved it. "Look!" Shane cried, pointing to the far end. "A tree! You can climb your very own tree, man!" then he burst out laughing at the annoyed look thrown his way. "We can have barbeques and everything if we want!"

"Hate to toot Shrod's horn, but it's pretty damn _us_." Tony turned so that they were facing each other. "You want it?"

Shane immediately understood he wasn't just talking about moving into a house together. Tony was talking about beyond that. He nodded rapidly. "Yeah," he breathed. "Let's do this."

* * *

"Damien, I'm back!"

Jared shut the door and locked it. He didn't receive an answer. As he passed the guest rooms, he checked each one. All were empty. When he got to the living room he noticed Sheera was also gone, as was her purse, which meant she'd finally gone home. Probably because her mom called to tell her Jake had finally given up and left the house. He shook his head.

He turned towards the master bedroom and that's when he heard the running water. Damien was in the shower. Instead of going straight in, he went out on the balcony to have a smoke and work up the nerve. It was a simple thing, them moving in together. Sort of. It was inevitable. But he was quite certain Damien hadn't thought about it yet. It was a huge move for Damien. For him too but he was ready for it.

Once done with the cigarette he went back in and headed into the room, climbing the stairs and taking a left into the en suite. The room was foggy. "Damien."

"Bastard, finally back."

"Damien, I need to talk to you."

"Go ahead, hun. I'm listening."

"Right." Jared grabbed the vanity chair near the long counter and set it next to the shower. He leaned forward slightly to look past the curtain, enjoyed that view for a moment, cleared his throat and leaned back again. Time to just get to it. Just blurt it out. He couldn't ask. He had to tell. But… Damien had to feel like he was being given a choice.

"Damien, how would you feel…"

"Yes?"

"I'm staying with you tonight."

"Of course, bastard."

Jared leaned forward and dropped his elbows to his knees. He dragged his hands through his hair. "Damien, how would you feel… Princess, I'm moving in with you tomorrow."

There. Done. Now Damien was completely still. Bu there wasn't any strange noises so he wasn't hyperventilating.

Finally Damien spoke. His voice was weird. "Because you need to or because you want to?"

Jared stood and leaned against the side where the curtain was open so he could see his lover's face. His eyes were wide and unblinking. Luckily he'd already washed his hair. Then he narrowed his eyes when he saw Jared.

"Answer me, Jared."

"Both."

That was not an acceptable answer as told by the look of complete disgust on Damien's face. Then he turned his back on him. Great view also but not important right now. Jared kicked off his shoes and then stepped into the shower, clothes and all. It was uncomfortable but he would deal with it. It was crazy and Damien would love it and that's really all that mattered right now.

The moment he touched him, Damien tried to struggle away, but Jared got him in a tight hold. "No. You need to listen, Damien. I want to. I want to live with you. You are not a job to me. Do you understand that? Yes, I'm moving in tomorrow because your father asked it. Because he's shit scared for you, princess. He asked me. He didn't demand. And I immediately said yes because I want to live with you. This is something I want and I hope it's something you would like too."

"You rehearsed this."

"A bit. Yeah."

The tension in Damien released and he laughed. He then wiggled around until they were chest to chest. "You're overdressed," he stated as his fingers went on to unbutton that sopping wet shirt. "Much too overdressed."

"You didn't really answer," Jared murmured, completely fixated on the teeth currently scraping down over his Adam's Apple.

"Demanding brute. What the hell do you think my answer is?" and then Damien hissed when he got the shirt off only to find Jared was wearing a white t under that. "Goddammit!"

Jared released Damien just long enough to peel off the t-shirt and toss it out before wrapping strong arms around his back. He dropped one hand down to grab at that ass. Damien's mouth slid up to cover his mouth while his own hands dropped down to work on Jared's jeans.

"It's not temporary," Jared mumbled around Damien's biting teeth. He then groaned when a hand wrapped around him and he pressed Damien back against the wet tiled wall.

"Of course not. I just spent nearly half a million on you! You're not going anywhere."

They would have words about his frivolous spending of cash, but not right that very moment. His pants were down now and he hooked an arm under one of Damien's legs and hiked his lover up to position him just right.

"Fuck," Damien hissed, dropping his head back against the wall and letting Jared have at him.

The water had gone cold long before they were finished. Jared half dragged, half carried Damien out of the shower.

"I need to go back out," Jared announced once they were both dressed again. Him back in dry street clothes, Damien in pajama bottoms. They'd wandered downstairs to the office and sat on the sofa. "Help Billy set this place up. He's going to do this place and the building Sheera, Caleb and Mai will be in."

Damien leaned into him when he threw an arm around his shoulders. "It's going to take him a while, huh?"

"Two days tops. He would have started as soon as we arrived, but he…" Jared grinned against Damien's head. "He was entertaining a guest."

"Dr. Evil?"

Jared snorted. "Him and Toyama. You should have heard him and Ryuu bickering all through dinner." He then shook his head, laughing. "Billy… he is so confused by him. By the fact Toyama keeps being nice to him. The bloke went out to buy groceries and kitchenware for him and it pissed Billy off!"

Damien was silent a while, staring over at his drawing desk. "You want him to stay, don't you?"

"It'd be nice, but… Billy doesn't do fixed. What I really want… Dunno. Just want him to be happy. He's saved my life. I've saved his. We've pulled each other out of some dark times… We went through a lot together. Through hell and back… I'm where I want to be now. I don't know if he's where he wants to be."

"Jared, he laughs so much to hide the loneliness," Damien said with certainty. Jared looked down at him in surprise. Damien tipped his head back to look at him. "I could see it in his eyes sometimes. We could help."

"We are criminals."

"Doesn't matter. You're emotional. You care about people… and animals. The fact that I could see that loneliness proves it."

"The tactics of you and your friends won't work on him like they worked on me," Jared warned.

"Please, hun. I've got Shane in my corner."

Jared conceded that was one hundred percent true.

* * *

Jake lay on his bed, staring up at the fucking ceiling at nearly two a.m. because he couldn't sleep, mentally cursing himself and working up another black mood when the phone started going off. Not his home phone, but his cell phone. He contemplated picking that up and launching it across the room as well. But then he rolled over and grabbed it up from the bedside table. It could be his mother. Maybe something was wrong at the ranch.

"Hello."

"J-Jake."

He sat straight up. "Sheera?"

"Jake."

Something was wrong. Her voice sounded hoarse and she was sniffling. "Sheera, where are you?" he demanded, throwing the covers off him, immediately going for the clothes he'd kicked off at the foot of his bed. "Are you at your parents?"

"N-no. I'm at… I'm in your driveway."

He'd already whipped on his jeans and tossed his shirt on. He paused, pulled the phone from his ear and crossed the room to look out of the window. And she was. She was down in the driveway, sitting in the car. Her forehead pressed against the steering wheel.

Jake tossed his phone onto the bed and sprinted out of the room and down the stairs, not even bothering to button up his shirt or put shoes on. He raced out of the sleek and modern two story white stone and glass house- which had solar panels anywhere he could get them- down the path and around to the driveway.

Her car was off and the window rolled down. But she wasn't moving. "Sheera?" he questioned and he came to stop at her door, leaning over a bit to peer inside. "Come out."

Sheera shook her head. "I know it's late. I shouldn't be here right now, but I… I couldn't sleep. I just… everything I said to you and it was all lies, Jake. It w-wasn't fair to you. I got scared. And I'm—I-I'm so sorry." And she was sobbing now, her hands white knuckled on the steering wheel. And she was looking at him through those blood shot watering eyes like she expected him to slap her or curse her away from his house. And that really ticked him off.

"Sheera, get out of the car."

Her fingers tightened and she shook her head. "N-no, I just had to apologize. That's what I came here to do," she ended firmly.

Jake reached in through the window, unlocked the door, opened it, and then jerked her out of it. The moment he touched her she started crying again. Sobbing against his neck when he wrenched her to him, enclosed her with both his arms. She clutched at his shirt, telling him how sorry she was for being a stupid coward bitch and she really didn't want to not see him every day.

And he understood she was not only upset about what happened between them. She was finally fully reacting to everything else happening. Everything in regards to Damien and his mother. She was terrified. Her baby cousin had had to kill a man. Someone tried to abduct him, kill Tony. They were all in the same boat and he knew she felt guilty for unwillingly dragging him into it.

And then as he pulled her to the house, she tried to break free and he wasn't having that. Not in her current state. "Sheera, if you think I'm letting you back in that car right now you are out of your fucking mind."

Finally she stopped struggling, turned in and clutching onto him. He tried to soothe her, pushing her hair away from her damp face as they stepped inside and moved over to one of the long couches. He dropped her down on it and told her not to move with a very hard look before striding away into the kitchen.

When he returned she hadn't moved a muscle. She wasn't crying any longer but she was stiff as a board, staring off across at the fish tank but not really seeing anything of it. When he sat down, he got her to move into his lap and recline back against him.

She jumped when he placed something cold over her eyes.

"Relax, darlin'. I know the headaches you get." And by the current look on her face he knew her eyes and head had to be pounding right now. "We can talk in a minute."

When he did finally speak, he settled for something light. They didn't need to talk about anything heavy right now. He didn't want her getting emotional again otherwise the headache would never go away. "How did you know where I live?"

Sheera didn't answer. Her head was heavy against his shoulder; her breathing normal and deep. He lifted the cold press just slightly to see her eyes closed, her swollen eyelids flickering just slightly. She had fallen asleep. A no brainer really, he thought as he grabbed the throw blanket from the back and tossed it over both of them, reclining back himself and pulling her with him. She had probably gotten his address from Jared.

* * *

A/N: Another chap done. Woot woot! Thanks for reading and please review :D Have a great day!

 


	33. Episode Thirty-Three

**The Sage Haze**

**Episode Thirty-Three**

Saturday arrived and the term hadn't started yet but the Allmsted campus bookstore was open that weekend due to the new term starting Monday. Shane was headed there now to pick up his books along with Tony's. He had already calculated the costs and with his Scholarship and grant, he would be able to afford both their loads, where Tony would have had to scrounge for his. He wasn't having that.

The bookstore was packed. Not surprising. A little annoying but it was his own fault for waiting till the last moment. On a brighter note, he'd already purchased the books online and only had to stand in line to get his bundle.

He had just taken his place at the back, pulling his phone out to entertain himself during the wait, when someone came up behind him and grabbed his arm. Shane jumped and immediately wrenched his arm away. He very nearly went for the knife in his jacket pocket too before he saw who it was.

Riku grinned at him, having caught that move. "Hey."

"Hey." Shane blew out a breath, slightly glaring for the fright. Riku laughed. "What are you doing here?"

"Picking up books, like you."

"Are you taking classes?"

Riku nodded. "Ru-san's making me."

"So you're going to be here the entire semester?"

"I guess."

"This is sweet! What classes are you taking?"

"English language. Drama-"

"Really?!"

"Don't look so surprised. I like acting."

Shane's grin was so big.

"Shut up," Riku muttered. "Psychology and Calculus."

"You know, it's funny. I'm taking those last two this semester."

Riku looked away, seemingly uninterested. "Yes?"

"Yeah. I'd bet my new house we've got the same classes."

"Strange coincidence."

"Bull shit. Who are your professors?"

Riku reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a crumpled paper. It listed his classes and professors. Shane took it up and then shook his head. Yeah, they were taking the same two classes. "Jared's pretty thorough." Think about all the work behind the scenes that had to go on in order to allow Riku to take classes there. Visas for instance. Being a visitor to the country was one thing, but getting a visa in order to study in America was another. That sort of thing takes time. Jared certainly had some bad ass connections.

They moved up the line and several people were leaving with books in hand. Shane saw a familiar face. "Stella! Hey, Stella!"

Stella glanced over at him. At first she looked right through him and then she did a fast double take. Her mouth parted slightly and then she was smiling as big as he was. "Shane!" she rushed over. "Oh my God! Look at you!"

"Just a haircut," he laughed and then hugged her when she barreled right into him. She couldn't hug back due to the books in her arms.

"It's a freaking awesome haircut, Shane! You never said anything about it on the phone," she chastised.

"Wanted it to be a surprise."

"Well I'm surprised! Listen," she glared down at the books. "I need to put these down somewhere, they're getting heavy-"

Riku leaned forward and plucked the books out of her arms. Didn't say anything to her after that. Didn't even really look at her. At least, he didn't look like he was looking at her, but Shane saw differently.

"Stella, this is Riku," he said before she could demand to know why a stranger had just jacked her books. "He's with me."

Stella's face dropped. "You didn't… You and Tony didn't break up, did you?"

"No! Hell no!"

The girl blew out a breath and was back to smiling. "Thank god! I would have beaten the shit out of both of you."

Shane matched her grin. "Good to know. Actually we just got a house together."

She bounced on her toes. "Awesome!" Then she turned to Riku. "Nice to meet you."

Riku bowed to her.

"Japanese?"

He looked kind of surprised and then smirked at her. "Yes."

The line moved again and they were nearly at the desk. "Hey, you guys meet me in the Commons. We can go grab lunch somewhere. My treat!" she announced and took back her books with a shy smile at Toyama. She was gone before Shane could answer either way.

"She is hot."

Shane grinned and nodded.

"Got a boyfriend?"

"Nope. Which is just tragic because she's super sweet."

"You say super too much."

"Fuck off."

"Usero," Riku repeated in Japanese.

"Usero," Shane mimed and then grinned when Riku nodded.

Another fifteen minutes in line and they finally reached the front. Thankfully there were no complications. Shane was able to get his books and Tony's, Riku picked up his, and they were able to leave. Shane noticed Riku used a business issued credit card.

"You get that from Shrod?" he asked once they'd left the store.

"The man is paying for everything."

Shane hoped none of this would come back to bite Shrod in the ass. What would happen if the world found out Shrod did business with the yakuza? Then again, Shrod was sneaky and slippery and even if it were found out, he'd find a way to make it all seem completely innocent.

As they made their way to The Commons, Shane pointed out things to Riku, tried to get him semi-familiar with the campus. "You work out, Riku?"

"Must. Ru-san is very demanding."

"Gotta show you the training facilities then. We'll do that on Monday if you want."

Riku nodded. "Ru-san says you're a runner. Track."

"Yeah, that's right," Shane answered quietly as they made it to the Commons courtyard.

Riku studied his profile. "The stabbing set you back."

"I can run now," Shane growled. "Just not allowed to compete."

"You've got fire, _Otouto-san_."

Shane didn't say anything to that and soon they found Stella sitting alone at a table, chatting on her phone. But she hung up as soon as she saw them approaching.

"Hey, I was just talking to Mimi. Told her I'd run into you and we were going to lunch. Do you mind if we meet up with them?"

"Sounds fun." Shane turned to Riku, who shrugged. "Yeah."

"Um… Mimi and I, we got you and Tony a Christmas present. But we… we didn't know if we should give it to you. If you don't want it, feel free to throw it away, okay."

"Why would I ever throw away a present I get from you?"

Her smile was kind of pained. She didn't answer. "How'd you get here? Want to pile into my car?"

"I took the bus," he answered, shrugging when Riku looked at him funny.

"Where did you park?" Riku asked her.

Stella stared at him. Shane snickered. He knew that look. Her eyes cut to his and he grinned before indicating Riku was waiting for an answer.

"Oh! Um… The south end parking lot."

"I'll meet you two there." And with that he turned and started walking away towards the east side of the campus.

Stella started fanning herself. "He's hot!"

"I take great pleasure in announcing…"

Her face fell. "He's gay."

"Nope. He's straight! Yay for you. Also he's twenty years old."

"He wasn't born here, was he?" she asked as they started walking along. "Can tell from his accent."

"No. He's just recently arrived. He's Mai's cousin."

"Cool."

Soon they came upon her car. A sweet two door Ford Focus, cherry red. Sweet for her, anyway. It fit Stella perfectly.

"So you got a house, huh?" Stella went on as they perched their asses on the hood to wait for Riku.

Shane nodded. "We're both really excited about it. At first I wasn't sure, but… it's gonna be awesome. We're moving in next weekend."

"Need helpers? I'm totally there if you need me. I'll ask Jake for the weekend off."

Shane leaned over and pressed the side of his head against hers. "I love you."

She laughed. "No need to sweeten me up. Already said I'd help you."

Shane's phone started going off so he answered it. "Hey."

" _Shane, where are you?"_ Tony demanded. _"The truck's here, you're not. What the fuck?"_

He frowned. "What's the problem, Tony? I left you a note. Why're you pissed?"

" _The fucking problem is I know you took the bus when we've got a perfectly good- brand fucking new- truck, baby boy! The bus? Seriously? After everything that's happened. Everything that is happening, you took the goddamned bus?!"_

Shane winced. His rising temper fading away when he got why Tony was so pissed off right now. "I didn't want to leave you without transportation and I've got Shrod's guy following me all the time, so..."

He heard Tony hiss through his teeth and then he pulled in a huge breath. _"You're too nice. Seriously, Shane. You're too nice and thoughtful and just…you know what? I love you, fucking brat. Where are you now? I'll pick you up when you're done."_

Shane was grinning from ear to ear. "I met up with Riku and Stella at the bookstore. No one told me Riku was taking classes this semester."

" _I didn't know that."_

"Yeah. And Stella invited us to go out to have lunch with her, Mimi, and Connor. Think Stella's got a crush on the yakuza—oh shit, shouldn't have said that."

Tony snorted. _"She's right next to you, huh?"_

"Dammit, yeah."

"Did you just say yakuza?"

Tony laughed in his ear. _"Play it off as a joke."_

Shane studied Stella's face. "Don't think that's going to work with her. She's bright you know."

Stella tuned away as the sound of a motorcycle approached. The bike pulled up beside them and Riku removed his helmet. "Okay," she whispered. "I can see it. Damn."

"Yeah, it's definitely not going to work now."

" _Just tell her to keep it quiet then."_

Stella turned back to him. "Tony want to meet up?"

"Hey, babe. You want to meet up for lunch?"

" _Nah. It's cool. Hang out with freshmen? No thanks."_

Shane snickered. "Asshole."

" _I'm supposed to be meeting up with Damien and Caleb anyway. We're helping Jared move in to Dame's place. Shane, when you're done call me or get one of your friends to drop you off."_

"Okay. I promise."

" _In fact, call me anyway. I don't want you at the apartment by yourself."_

"Tony, you know I'm going to be okay."

" _Can you just give me this, brat? Please."_

"I promise."

When he put the phone away, he found Stella over talking to Riku. "You just follow us, okay?" Riku nodded and put his helmet back on. "Um? Are you a yakuza?"

The visor of the helmet was wrenched open and a glare was aimed Shane's way.

"I didn't do it on purpose!"

Riku turned back to Stella. "No."

Stella laughed in his face and turned away, shaking her head. "Let's get the show on the road. I'm starving."

Shane was happy to see they were meeting the others at a bistro. The same one Tony had taken him to on their first date. The place had awesome food. Once the introductions were made between Riku and the others and everyone had food and was seated, the chatter ensued. At first Riku was quiet, but the others kept talking to him, asking him questions, drawing him out. He seemed okay with them after that.

"Okay Shane," Mimi said half way through. She looked at Stella, who nodded. "We got you and Tony a present."

"Why are you guys acting like this present is the plague?"

"It speaks of so many things, but…" Mimi pulled up her humongous bag and withdrew a thinnish wrapped package. Could be a book. "We're not trying to hurt you."

Shane grabbed the present. Clear anxiety was wafting around them. Even Connor looked uneasy. So he tore off the wrapping and then he understood. It was a framed photograph. Shane pushed his plate away and set the picture down in front of him. He dropped his elbows on the table and clasped his hands together against his forehead. Just staring at it. A picture of him and Tony sitting in a booth at the Sage Haze. He was leaning against Tony's chest. His boyfriend had a secure arm over his chest to keep him there. Shane's head was back against Tony's chest and his eyes were closed, his face completely peaceful.

"Shane, we-"

"No. I get why you're giving this to us," he replied thickly.

Riku noticed his tone and leaned over. He saw the emotion on his face. _"What's the problem?"_ he demanded. And then turned to the other three. "What did you do?" he snapped.

Shane laughed shakily and grabbed his arm to calm the yakuza down. "No, it's alright. They just…"

"It was the night he told Tony he loved him," Stella whispered. "And it's just there, in that picture. You can see it. But…"

"It's also the night I was stabbed," Shane answered. "Maybe… fifteen, twenty minutes after this picture was taken." He dropped his hands, looking at them. "I'm not going to throw it away. It's a great picture. Thank you."

"What is the big deal?" Riku wanted to know. "You were stabbed. But you survived. At home you would have been given a bad ass name for surviving such a brutal attack. Ru-san says you kicked Death's ass. You are Death's Ass Kicker."

For a moment, nobody said anything. They just all stared at Riku who stared back defiantly.

"I'm sure that sounds better in Japanese," Stella then said.

That broke Shane and he started laughing. "What's Death's Ass Kicker in Japanese?"

"Shi no shiri kikkā."

"Yeah. Sounds way better."

And then they were all laughing about it. Riku just shrugged, though a smirk was playing at his lips.

"Thanks guys. I'm going to put it on the mantel the moment we move in."

Connor looked at him. "Move in?"

"Yeah!" Stella exclaimed. "He and Tony got a house together! W are so gonna help."

"I'm in," Mimi said.

"Yeah, me too. Gonna make it a party?"

Shane nodded after some thought. "A little one. Tony can't wait to barbeque. Yeah. It'll be fun. Next Saturday. You gonna come, Riku?"

Riku took a short amount of time to think about it. These people were okay even if they were normal. He liked Shane. Ryuu was right when he said it would be impossible not to. He wasn't normal. "Of course."

* * *

"What the hell is in this?" Caleb demanded as he and Tony hauled a huge locked case towards the penthouse elevator from the garage.

"Probably a nuke," Tony muttered. The thing was freaking heavy. His muscles were straining against his shirt, he was already sweating and they'd only walked five paces. The van having been parked right next to the elevators.

Jared came up behind them carrying the same kind of box, but it was medium sized. He didn't need help carrying it. He also had a bag on his back and a duffel over his shoulder. He looked at them with a raised condescending brow. "You two are going to work out more."

Tony frowned but Caleb nodded. "Yeah, we probably need to."

"What do you have in here?" Tony wanted to know.

Jared grinned. "Fun stuff."

"Too bad Damien can't help us."

Tony snorted. "Like he would even if he weren't at the Sage working."

"You're right. He would have been sitting on this fucking thing as we carried it."

Just as the penthouse elevator opened, one of the other elevators opened as well and Billy walked out with Dr. Evil's face poking out of the satchel he had on. He glanced at them picking up the heavy box and snorted.

"Come help us," Tony whispered urgently.

Billy shook his head. "Sorry, boyo," he replied quietly with a smirk. "Don't know you yet."

"Son of a bitch!" Caleb hissed. Jared laughed.

"That's absolutely true!" Billy called back before disappearing between rows of cars.

"By the way," Jared said to Caleb as they loaded onto the elevator. "Your new place is secure."

"Sweet."

"He's installing a security system in your house as well, Tony."

"Somewhat relieving."

They got up to the penthouse and unloaded. And then a break was called for.

"At least it's not a lot of furniture," Jared told them, shaking his head when they sprawled out on the floor.

"We thought it would be easy because of that!"

Jared threw up his hands and headed back out to finish the unloading.

Caleb turned his head, looked at Tony. "Are we being wusses?"

"Probably."

They both got up to follow Jared. "Excited about work?"

"It's gonna be different. New place. Right on Shrod campus. Nine to five job with classes in between."

"You're getting paid more, too."

"Yeah. Always good. Have you decided yet?"

"Not really. It's Mai, you know. She's not sure what she wants to do… to be honest I think she wants to work for the family," Caleb announced as they caught the elevator before Jared went down.

Jared turned to him. "Honestly?"

"Yeah, we've talked about it some. More so recently. The thing is she doesn't want to live there. She likes it here. Her mother… Kimiko will never go back there."

"Caleb, does your family know about Mai's people?"

"No. That's one thing Mai's afraid of. Telling Mom. She hasn't even told her mom she wants to start back up. Right now she wouldn't, just because Ryuu's back in town. She doesn't want her mom to blame Ryuu… not that he doesn't deserve an awesome butt whooping from her."

Both Tony and Jared snorted. Next they set about toting all of Jared's clothes up stairs. Everything was packed away in clothes bags and separated by what type of clothing. All meticulously organized. Tuxes, business suits, casual clothes, street clothes. He had a lot of clothes. More than Tony and Caleb realized.

"Man, I don't think Damien has enough room in his closet."

"I'll make room."

Next were the shoes. Two large travel trunks full of shoes. Once they were done with that, they took more than a short break, but only because they would need to go back to Jared's to get the furniture he needed with him. Office furniture and a bookcase.

They were up top drinking energy shakes Jared had whipped up when Damien came storming in. He didn't say a word and they didn't either because he looked pissed the fuck off. Damien just kept walking and shrieked a growl- how he managed to do that was beyond them- threw his hands up in the air and stomped to his room. They could hear him snapping out curses but at least he didn't seem to be throwing shit around.

"Go in," Caleb prodded Jared. "See what's wrong."

"Bollucks to that."

Five minutes later Damien came back out with the same expression on his face. He had three long design canisters under his arm and went straight back to the door and left.

"Uh oh. Someone fucked up something there."

Jared shrugged. "He'll get it fixed."

"You think someone got killed?"

"Very likely."

It wasn't really a joke and still all three snorted over their smoothies.

* * *

When Sheera woke up, it was way past noon and she was alone on that couch. Not really surprising. There was a note on the coffee table in front of her, along with a glass of water and two aspirin. She grabbed at the medication and took it, using the water to help it along. Then she took up the note and read it.

Jake told her he needed to go in, take care of some business. She understood that. He had three stores to run, bookkeeping, banking… that sort of thing. She'd told him over and over again he needed to invest in some help in that area too. With three stores he wouldn't' be able to handle it all by himself anymore.

He also told her he didn't expect her into work today. That had her breath hitching until he she read that he wanted her to get some more rest but she had better have her ass into work the following day. They had things they needed to speak about in that regard. Sheera set the note aside, looked around.

It was not pristine, the house. There was shit everywhere. Books and magazine littered the coffee table, with a few that had fallen to the floor. A couple of jackets thrown over the chair by the door. A pair of socks lay by the foot of the stairs. All of his ski gear and luggage was tossed haphazardly onto the floor in front of the beautiful fish tank. Good Lord! His kitchen was a mess!

Sheera stood and approached the kitchen. "Pig!" and yet she couldn't stop grinning. This was something about Jake she had not expected. Really, she had expected him to be annoyingly tidy. On her way, she stopped at a little table next to the entryway. There was a picture on it. A woman with her two kids. Jake was one of them. The other was a girl. Sheera knew he had a sister, but he never talked about her much.

Sheera turned away from the picture and walked into the kitchen, pushing up her sleeves as she crossed over to the sink and the mountain of dirty dishes there. She grimaced. Most of this, if not all, was left over from before the ski trip. "Seriously, Jake? Nasty."

She steeled herself and got to work; the smile on her face never leaving for an instant. It took her a couple of hours to tidy the place up. She didn't go full out maid mode because she didn't know where everything was supposed to go and she didn't want to piss him off by putting stuff away where it wasn't supposed to be. She was sure he'd lose his head. Jake was trippy like that.

Once she was done, she went straight home to shower and change and then headed to work. She wanted to work and she needed the money to buy new materials. When she arrived, she immediately logged in downstairs. She didn't even glance at the office upstairs where she knew Jake had probably locked himself away. She went to the back office to look over the paper work. Get on the computer and check out the new orders coming in. Strangely nothing for women had been ordered yet. Strange because it was time to order for the next season. They needed to get on that. Maybe he had forgotten that. The system allowed her to check the other stores and they weren't due a shipment either.

"Weird."

* * *

Billy glanced at the card in his hand and then back up at the sign over the establishment. He didn't really want to do this. But he had to. He had to dress the part. He had to get suits. He wasn't sure if he should take the referral though. The referral that had been shoved under his apartment door no doubt by the crazy corporate heir. It maybe tied them in a little too closely. Then again, he'd already learned Strathom's was the place to go in town for men's wear of all kinds. And when you're in at Shrod, you're in. Like a freaking fraternity. You had better look the part.

When he finally stepped inside, he was surprised. It didn't look that big from the outside. "It's bigger on the inside. Dooweeoooo…" Yeah, he was a nerd.

He had to travel through a sea of ghastly things before getting to the men's department. From the corner of his eye he saw an associate approaching him.

"Hi. How can I help you today?"

Billy smiled and looked at her, eyed her store manager nametag. "I need work clothes. Business suits and shirts. New job on Monday."

"Oh sure." Sheera's smile upped a notch. "I guarantee we have what you need. All types of suits, from every price range." She turned and waved to another associate who bustled up as quick as she could. Energetic, this one. "Stella's one of our best. You won't leave here without looking like you own the place. Stella, this gentleman is looking for business attire. Suits mostly." Sheera began to turn away, but Dr. Evil chose then to announce himself. Sheera turned back around with a fixed smile. "Ah, Mr…?"

"Reynolds."

"Well Mr. Reynolds, I'm afraid we have a no pets allowed policy. We can't have fur and… fleas getting on the merchandise, no matter how cute the animal is," she ended with a widening smile at the kitten who poked his head out of the top of the satchel.

Billy halfway frowned, due to the flea comment. Dr. Evil didn't have fleas. He'd carefully washed the kitten that morning. On top of that though, he was impressed with Sheera's acting.

"However," she went on, "I would be happy to keep him at the counter for you. We don't harm animals here. Will this work for you?"

"Guess I don't have a choice." He handed over the satchel to her. She carefully held the bag in her arms. Sheera then winked at him and stepped back, leaving him with the young girl whose smile was as wide as her face.

"Okay, Mr. Reynolds-"

"You can call me James."

"James! Awesome! Let's get started!"

Billy glanced over Stella's head, eyeing Sheera. She smirked in amusement before turning away. He watched her another moment as he followed after Stella and saw Sheera freeze. He tensed himself before seeing where Sheera was staring. Up the stairs. Strathom was walking down. He had a binder in his hands, flipping through pages. Then he looked up and spotted Sheera. He stopped and then frowned. Then he spun back around and went back to his office. Sheera snorted and went about her work after securing Dr. Evil at one of the registers. She asked David to keep an eye out on him and then went about making a note of everything that was going on sale the following week.

"What colors are you looking at? For the suits."

Billy turned back to Stella. "Dark blues, black, dark grays. Simple stuff."

"Got it. We have our more traditional suits over here…" she indicated the section. "If this is what you're looking for."

"Yes. New job Monday."

"Oh! Are you starting Orientation?"

Billy turned to her, frowning a little. She shrugged. "We've gotten a lot of business the past week for that. Orientation for interns and new hires at Shrod."

"Yep."

"Alright then. You've come to the right place. Even Shrod the Third shops here?"

"Does he?"

"Yeah! The last time he was here I was able to assist him." She smiled brightly. "He modeled for me."

Billy pretended to be interested in the suits in front of him. "What's he like?"

"Oh. He's nice." And that was that. When he turned to look at her, clearly wanting to know more all she did was smile politely. And clearly that's all she was going to give even though he knew for a fact she knew Damien a little better than that. _Good girl_ , he thought.

About half an hour later, Billy was still shopping- and hating every second- and the phone rang. Sheera picked it up, noticing it was the inside line. "Sheera," she answered.

"Get up here."

Sheera delicately set the phone back into the cradle and looked up. The blinds on the windows were all shut. Then she steeled herself and went up.

Billy had just stepped out of the dressing room for inspection by Stella, who frowned and shook her head. "No. It's too big. You're picking things that are too loose fitting, James."

He frowned at her, opened his mouth. She shook her head again.

"They don't fit."

"Hey, I thought I was the customer."

"Of course. But I can't let you leave here without looking your best. Strathom's motto. Stop picking clothes that are too large."

"WHAT?"

Everyone stopped what they were doing, stared up at the office.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M FIRED? AFTER EVERY THING I'VE DONE FOR THIS STORE?!"

"Oh Jesus," Billy murmured.

Upstairs, Jake quickly rounded his desk, approached the doom that was Sheera and slapped a hand over her mouth. "Let me explain!" Her eyes told him he was about to lose his hand. "Please stop screaming at me. There are customers down stairs."

She mumbled something against his hand. He was certain it was something along the lines of fuck the customers. Slowly he withdrew his hand. Again the look in her eyes had him going on quickly. "I need to fire you so I can hire you again as a fashion buyer, Sheera."

Sheera wrenched away from him. "That's a promotion, you dumb idiot!" Her chest heaved as she pulled in calming breaths. "A…That's an unbelievable promotion, Jake," she finally whispered. "Why would you give that to me? I don't… I don't have that kind of experience."

"Are you out of your mind, honey? Yeah you do! You're not just a store associate, Sheera. You practically run everything behind my back. When I was at your house last night, your mom and aunt showed me your work space. Daisy couldn't stop gushing over the dress you leant her for her first date with Shrod. That's an amazing dress, Sheera! Simple and beautiful. Reminiscent of a Greek toga the way it hangs off the shoulders and flows down to the feet. The material is gorgeous. Daisy said she had been asked half a dozen times where she purchased that dress! You have unbelievable talent, and what?" he demanded, suddenly angry. "You're just going to hide all that down in the basement?!"

Sheera opened and closed her mouth several times. Jake shook his head. "The point is, yeah, you have done a lot for me, my stores. I'm giving you the opportunity to do more. For Strathom's and for yourself. One day your designs are going to be featured in my store, but until then, you will be purchasing all female lines for all Strathom stores. Can you handle that?"

All she could do was nod. Yeah, she could do that. Plus some.

"Yeah? Great. Come here."

And then his hands were in her hair and he was pressed against her. Thighs to thighs, hips to hips, chest to chest, lips to lips and all she could do was moan and hold on. Next few minutes were a blur, but then she suddenly found herself perched on the edge of his desk with Jake snug between her thighs and he was so hard against her.

His mouth drifted to her throat, hands down to her thighs where he then began pushing the skirt of her dress up and that had her shivering with explosive want.

However, "J-Jake. Jake, we're at work."

His hands slipped higher up, thumbs brushing against incredible heat. She gasped and arched into him. "Yeah, darlin'. And I just fired your ass."

Sheera laughed. "You sneaky-"

A hand fisted harshly in her long dark hair and yanked her head back, exposing her face and neck to him. He covered her mouth again while his free hand continued to touch her, excite her, make her wish they weren't in the store so she could scream. But she spread her legs wider, inviting him in without giving verbal permission. And they were both so fucking ready for this, Jake wasted not another moment.

* * *

"You are a slave driver," Billy said to Stella upon finally checking out.

"You're going to blow the competition out of the water and look really good doing it," she said as she passed over his satchel.

He eyed her. "What competition?"

"All business is competition, right?"

He pointed at her. "Sharp tack."

She laughed. "I try."

Billy shook his head. No wonder she and Shane were friends. A couple of peas in the same pod. "If I get laughed at, I'm coming straight to you."

"Sir, no one in their right minds would laugh at you in those suits."

"Please don't do that again. Don't call me sir."

"I'll remember that." He eyed her as she passed over his purchases; all hung on hangers and in expensive clothes bags. He'd just paid a fortune. "Business major?"

"For the time being."

Billy smiled. "You'll do just fine."

"Thank you!" she gushed. Billy waved at her and walked out. Once he was gone, she fanned herself. "Another fine one."

David snorted and shook his head.

"He totally is! He was so cute picking out and trying on clothes. Didn't want to look too good."

"So did you hear?" David questioned, jerking a thumb at the top office.

Stella frowned. "Everyone heard."

"Don't worry. They always do that."

"That sounded real this time."

"Yeah but… They're friends and Sheera loves this store no matter what she says. Jake knows that."

They heard a crash upstairs followed by Sheera's laughter.

"See? She's laughing. When was the last time you heard Sheera laughing?"

Stella nodded and went back to the dressing rooms to gather up the clothes Mr. Reynolds left behind. It was some twenty minutes later when Sheera emerged. Both Stella and David were at the counters. No one was currently in the store. Sheera stepped out of the office with a huge smile.

She looked into the open doorway. "We're going to do that naked next time right?"

"For Christ's sake, Sheera!"

Stella's hands flashed to her mouth. David blinked stupidly up at Sheera.

"Technically I don't work in the store any more. It's cool if they know you just fucked me three ways from Sunday on your desk."

"You're a freaking bitch!"

Sheera laughed and blew a kiss into the office.

* * *

Sheera ran into Damien's apartment and then paused. Kind of disorientated seeing all the extra stuff lying around. Jared's belongings which hadn't all been put into place yet. Mostly his office equipment. And then Shane was in her face. "Is it true? About you and Jake in the office on the desk?!"

Sheera laughed. "Yeah. Should have known Stella would call you."

"She said you left and Jake didn't come out of the office until closing time. She said Jake looked so embarrassed and was cursing you the entire time."

Sheera's smile was huge. "He's so cute… and hot… and so totally good, Shane."

"Ah, yeah. No. Too much info. Don't even, cuz."

"Actually I have an announcement."

"More than you and Jake finally doing it?" Caleb wanted to know when she sat down.

"Yeah. He fired me."

No one was pleased to hear that. In fact Mai looked about ready to run out of there to beat Jake Strathom's ass. For the first time Shane could remember, he was finally seeing the yakuza in her. She looked seriously violent.

"And you let him touch you?!" Damien demanded, outraged.

Sheera nodded. "I'm starting a new job on Monday. You are now looking at the new fashion buyer for female wear at Strathom's. Clothes, shoes, accessories. Everything! For all three stores!"

"Whoa. That's a huge promotion!" Mai exclaimed, her smile as wide as Sheera's now.

"I know!"

"But you just said he fired you," Tony pointed out.

Damien grinned. "Only so he could bang her in that office during office hours. Guess Jake's not the prude I was beginning to think he was."

Sheera smiled and nodded. Then she practically danced out onto the balcony. Mai quickly followed. The guys watched them. Tony and Caleb looked kind of weirded out. "That's fucking strange," Tony muttered.

"She's on cloud nine. Guess we should get used to it for a time," Damien laughed. "At least until they fight again."

Shane pulled his eyes away from his cousin to look at them. "Stella also told me about this hot guy that came in to buy some clothes for his new job on Monday. Said he was a new hire at Shrod." He grinned. "The guy had a kitten in a satchel."

Jared laughed and looked at Damien. "Guess he took your advice."

"Course he did, hun. No one turns down the advice of a Shrod."

* * *

"There's no point in being so annoyed by this, Damien."

Damien turned away from the window and aimed the scowl at his lover. Jared just laughed as he winded his way through the Shrod campus, aiming for the parking garage of building 101, the building the new hires were told to report to that morning. It was only just yesterday Shrod had called Damien to announce his son was also expected to attend Orientation, as well as give a speech. Jared was also supposed to give a stupid pep talk, but he wasn't being made to do the Orientation.

"If you do this without fuss, I'll give you the reward I brought for you now."

Damien's scowl slipped and he perked up.

"It's in my briefcase. Right on top."

He reached back behind Jared's chair and grabbed the briefcase. Once he had the briefcase, he set it on his lap, unlocked it, and opened it. Then he sent Jared a devious grin.

"Don't let it go to your head, princess. You still have to speak."

"Sweet!" Damien snatched the joint out of the briefcase.

"Do not light it in here."

"Bastard, this new car smell is divine. I wouldn't dream of it." Damien went back to looking at the window. Slipping the joint into the inside pocket of his jacket. "Fine. I'll do this. But I'm not wearing a goddamn nametag like the rest of them."

"Acceptable."

"…this is stupid! Feels like the first day of school! Shouldn't feel that way. I live and breathe this place already."

"Bet you a hundred dollars you'll learn things about the company today that you never knew before. And you technically just graduated like many of them."

"Deal. Hundred bucks."

"At least it's not such a big crowd. The august hires will be tripled."

"Yeah, I know. Tony's gonna be there too, so…"

"Also Billy and Toyama. But remember Billy is now James Reynolds."

Damien nodded. "Can I share my joint with them?"

"That one's just for you. I've got another…"

"You wicked man."

"Like I said, that shite better not go to your head. You better behave and act like the Shrod heir or I won't do it again. Your father will kill me if it's clear you're stoned."

"Okay, bastard."

Anything to keep Damien calm. Anything to keep him loose when he spoke to the crowd.

When they parked, Damien remained seated. Didn't move a muscle. But he was eyeing Jared from the corner of his eye with a pensive expression. Immediately Jared knew what he was thinking, feeling.

"Damien," he murmured, placing a hand on the back of his neck, drawing him closer until he could kiss him. He kissed him long and deep and for minutes on end. When they pulled back slightly, Damien had that wide smile on his face.

"Don't worry so much, princess."

"Are we… are we keeping us secret? There's gonna be a lot of publicity today."

"Your dad doesn't care if our relationship goes public, but I'd rather not do the PDA thing if you don't mind."

"You're going to have to be specific."

Jared laughed. "No kissing. No groping. No holding hands… in front of people." Damien pouted. "I don't mind you leaning up against me, brushing against me, doing things like that to make it clear we're seeing each other though."

"Give me one more kiss then. Let's get this show on the road."

Several minutes later they entered the building through a secure entrance from the garage and into a lift which took them to the third level. They separated there. Jared went off to an office to get on the computer, check some things out, and make calls. Catch up on work before he had to join the Orientation. Damien went on to find a quiet maintenance closet to smoke that joint.

He smoked himself into another somber mood, but on his way out, he thought about that last kiss with Jared in the R8 and that lifted his spirits. And then as he was walking along the bridge on the third floor connecting the west and east wings of the building, he paused half way across to look down at the growing crowds. He stood there, studying them. Sometimes nodding to those who passed him on the bridge and greeted them. Those who already worked there of course recognized him, even with the dark hair.

The young men and women down below were a buzz of excitement and nerves and that was contagious. Not all were guaranteed permanent positions. Especially the interns. But the Shrod Group was one of the best places to be employed, had been voted in the top five the last ten years. Ever since his father took over, he had been working hard to make it great working environment for employees too. Most times happy employees were the best employees. Happy employees equaled loyal employees.

And then he spotted Tony standing kind of by himself, looking around at everyone. He had on a suit too. Tony was tense until he looked up and spotted Damien leaning against the railing and looking down at everyone. Tony grinned and gave him a little salute. Damien pushed back from the railing, intent on going down to join his best friend in this horror, when he spotted Billy. The guy was standing just inside the front doors. He had his glasses on, not to mention a very nice suit, but he was looking a little lost. From a gay man perspective, it was the cutest damn thing he'd ever seen. A man like that, looking the way he was. Damien knew it was only half an act. Billy probably was feeling a little lost.

He spotted Ryuu as he descended the stairs at the west side. He snorted. Toyama was at the front of the crowds. Standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, looking completely secure in his position and in the situation. Chin slightly lifted. He looked like a boss. No one was trying to make friends with him right now.

"Hey. Got your badge yet?" he asked Tony when he finally reached him.

"Nope."

Damien nodded and then gestured to his friend's left wrist where Shane's Christmas present peeked out from under the business jacket. "Nice bracelet."

Tony matched his smile. "Thanks. It's never coming off."

"Follow me." Damien weaved through the crowds, made sure to pass close enough to Billy. "You need to check-in at the tables and collect you orientation packet and badge. That's over here," he said to Tony within Billy's hearing range.

Billy then started following them, though he made sure not to keep directly behind them.

"Bet this is strange for you," Tony said as they walked up to the table for the people whose last names fell between A and D.

"Annoying," Damien muttered. "I shouldn't have to do this. I'm wasting valuable time here when I could be in my office working already."

"Come on, dude. It's not so bad." He turned to the woman behind the table who was free. "Tony Candon."

"Intern or new hire?"

"Intern. Biochemistry program."

The woman smiled as she sorted through all the packets to find him. "Ah. We have an amazing science division. You'll have fun."

"Hope so."

The woman's smile turned flirty and Damien snorted. "He's gay, hun. Don't go there."

"Jesus, Damien."

Damien did nothing but laugh. The woman was looking at Damien and then she got passed the dark hair. Her smile turned professional. "Good morning, Mr. Shrod." That started a wild fire of talking behind them and around.

"Blah."

"Oh come on now. Don't be like that. It's a great day."

"You know what," he said to her and her smile slipped. "I like you. It is a great day, isn't it? I shouldn't be such a bitch."

The woman shrugged. "I always like being positive. Seems to work."

"What's your name?" Her smile slipped a little more. "I'm not about to get you in trouble, hun. I'm not my father."

"I'm Mary. Mary Allen."

"Love the smile, sweetie." Damien gave her a genuine smile and turned away.

"Thanks," Tony said to her and then followed, not half surprised now that everyone was craning their necks trying to get a good look at Damien.

"Slap on that stupid name tag and slip the key card into your pocket," Damien instructed as they pressed again through the crowd towards Toyama.

"You're seriously killing my buzz, man," Tony hissed. "Which is lame since I can see you're stoned. You should be in a better mood. How'd you get it anyway?"

"My bastard." Then he sighed. "Yeah. I'll try to be in a better mood. For you."

"Appreciate it."

Those who had already checked in were gathering in front of a raised dais. There was a projector screen as a backdrop and chairs were already placed. By the time they reached him, Ryuu was already sitting down, front row center. He'd probably scared away the people who had been sitting there before. This brightened Damien's mood even more. He didn't think it would be suspicious if he were to go and sit near him. He was Damien Shrod after all. He sat where he wanted. Plus, he kind of already knew Toyama anyway.

"Excuse me," he told two young looking things a seat away from Ryuu. "Damien Shrod. I need these seats."

"Please, man. Nice try. Go get your own," one of the twerps said.

Tony very casually wrapped a hand around his friend's bicep. But he nor Damien had to say anything else. A young African American woman sitting in the second row directly behind them tapped the stupid guy on the shoulder. When he turned around, she held up a very used copy of Forbes for him to see. Those new hires looked at it and then snapped their heads back around. Damien had the same smile on his face that he wore on the magazine cover. Except now his smile was a little crazy looking.

"Y-yeah, sure. Sorry. Here you go, Mr. Shrod."

Not only did he get up, but so did his friend as well as the other guy who sat directly beside Ryuu. As he sat down, Damien looked at the woman and winked at her. "Thanks, hun."

"Can I promote my name to you, sir?"

Damien laughed. "I'm liking this group," he said to Tony before turning back to her. "Sure."

She whipped out a business card and handed it to him. It just had her name and major, the department she would be working in. Donna Price. She was an intern for Public Relations. "You have come prepared," he said as he slipped the card in his jacket.

She shrugged and smiled. "It's nice to meet you."

He twisted around to shake her hand. "Likewise, Donna Price."

From the corner of his eye, Damien caught Ryuu lifting his wrist to check the time. Then he blew out an annoyed breath and stood, turning around and scanning the crowds. Another guy came up and tried to take the empty seat between Damien and Ryuu. Ryuu barely moved, except to put his hand in front of the guy.

"No. Reserved."

"You can't do that."

"Yes I can. Be on your way," Ryuu answered lowly with an unyielding look. The guy went on his way.

"Wow. That was impressive." Damien stood and held out his hand to him. "Nice to see you again, Toyama."

Ryuu bowed and then shook his hand. "It is a pleasure to be here, Shrod."

"I've heard talk about you from my father," Damien replied as they sat, not unaware of the gossip they had just created.

"All good, I hope."

Damien grinned. "Actually they say you're ruthless."

"Accurate."

"I'm looking forward to working with you."

Toyama gave the briefest of smiles. "Likewise. Ah, and this is my associate," he gestured to the guy hurrying up. "James…Reynolds." Ryuu had hesitated upon seeing him. When "James" came to stand in front of him in that dark grey suit. A suit that perfectly fit him unlike his street clothes. His hair was cut. Just slightly shorter and gelled away from his face. Those glasses though… "Reynolds. I would like to introduce you to Damien Shrod the Third."

"What? Really?" the guy was all aflutter of movement. Trying to tuck his packet away at the same time holding out his hand, while still trying to shove his glasses back up his nose. His orientation packet dropped to the floor.

Tony turned away a moment to keep from laughing.

"I'm sorry," James rushed out as he bent down to gather his papers which had spilled across the floor and over Damien's shoes. "I'm s-so sorry." Once he was back up he pulled in a breath and smiled in a pained manner. "Sorry."

"Are you going to shake my hand?" Damien wanted to know, also trying hard not to laugh. Billy was awesome.

"What? Oh, of course! Really I am sorry. Nice to meet you. I'm James."

Damien looked at Toyama, who shrugged. "He has people issues. Sit down, Reynolds, before you hurt someone."

When James sat, Toyama stared at him. "Nice first impression."

James grimaced.

Damien leaned into Tony. "I wonder if they rehearsed this," he whispered. Tony coughed behind his hand. Damien then leaned towards James. "Not a big deal. I get nervous amongst crowds sometimes."

James turned to him. "Really?"

"Sure. That is until I remember exactly what I'm doing. Do you know what you're doing here, Reynolds?"

"Just get me in a tech lab, Mr. Shrod."

"I'm Damien. My father is Mr. Shrod."

"Damien then. What are you doing out here if you don't mind my asking?"

"I've been working for my father for a few years, but I really just graduated in December. So I'm taking part in the Orientation. Also giving a pep talk. Fun."

"What's going to happen?" Tony wanted to know since he really didn't know. Damien never talked about this part of his job. And he'd never really been on campus before. He'd had a part time job at other facilities off campus.

"Once everyone is checked-in, the opening speakers will start. You'll get speakers throughout the week. But only three will be speaking today. Yours truly and then the Director of Operations, Jared Newton," he proclaimed proudly, "followed by…" Damien grimaced. "Senior VP Tok. " He took a moment, pushed down the unexplained revulsion that man could always inspire and then went on.

"He's the director of operations… for the entire company?!" Tony asked in shock. Damien nodded. "I didn't know that! Jesus."

"Once the speeches are out of the way, you freshmen will be broken into groups and given a tour of the place. Not every building. Just ones open to everyone. Shuttles will ferry everyone about. After the tours you'll get the days' closing speeches and then go home. Tomorrow is when you'll see your actual work places and meet your fellow co-workers."

"When's lunch?"

Tony, Jared, and Ryuu turned to James, who again grimaced.

"Sorry. That can wait."

Ryuu rubbed the spot between his eyes. "Moron."

"Hey!"

"Why they thought sending you here would be a good idea is beyond me."

"Hey, Toyama! I earned this spot!"

The girl behind Damien tapped him on the shoulder. "Sorry. Sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering… will we be hearing from your father as well?"

"Yeah. He's the last speaker. Last day of Orientation."

The girl practically bounced in her seat she looked so excited. Damien smiled at her and as he turned, he noticed Jared standing up on the bridge, almost exactly where he had been, and scanning the crowd. Damien sighed. He'd missed seeing Jared in his work clothes. His man was so fine.

Then Jared's attention focused on him, and he got a wink from that very handsome man. Unbelievably, Damien felt himself flush from the attention.

"Dude!" Tony hissed. "Stop it!"

"What?" Tony cleared his throat and looked straight at his lap. "Oops. It's Jared's fault. He winked at me." Damien grabbed Tony's packet and set it over his lap. "If you don't stop giving me that look, I'm gonna say some things to have you thinking about Shane and then you'll be in the same predicament!"

Tony snapped his attention to the empty stage.

Billy kind of forgot himself and started laughing.

It wasn't until Jared had come down, closely followed by Tok, did he hand back the packet. Luckily he was no longer tented. He stood, the only one now to be standing, and looked at the young woman behind him. "Come take my chair, hun."

She shot to her feet and the look on her face was akin to someone who had just won the lottery. By the looks on the faces of the people around her, she had.

Damien moved to the stage, bypassed the steps and jumped right up on to it. He went to the back, ignored all the flashes going off from several places in the atrium. There were several reporters from newspapers and magazines- mostly business orientated- and also there were people from television media.

He grabbed up the microphone set at the edge of the screen, made sure it was turned on. He ran a hand through his hair as he looked across the way where Jared was standing at the opposite side. There was that brief flash in Jared's eyes that had Damien grinning as he turned to the crowd.

"Hello, everyone! Doing alright today? Excited to be here?" there was a round of affirmatives. "Great! Cause if you're not, you should probably go now. Leave all the best parts to people who actually want to be here." People booed at that. Damien laughed, nodded. "That's what I thought. So for those of you who don't know me, I'm Damien Shrod the Third. Never call me sir but should you ever meet my father, you sure as hell better call him sir." More laughter. "And for those who have heard but don't quite believe it… yeah, I'm a little bit crazy." He turned and shot Jared a grin. "But crazy can be fun." And that was the moment he had people eating out of his hand.

Jared found himself grinning back until he noticed Tok was watching him.

"I know it's been a hard road to get here," Damien went on as he paced the length of the stage, completely at ease with so many eyes and cameras on him. "You've had to work your asses off. Congratulations for making it this far. That said, be prepared to work harder and know that fifty percent of you won't last the next three months." He shrugged. "That's life. That's business. We're looking for the best. But you should have known that before you even applied here. Shrod accepts nothing less. Anyone have any questions so far?"

Several people raised their hands. Damien pointed out. "You there, with the hideous red and black scarf around your neck. Really?"

The guy cleared his throat as he pulled the scarf off. "Um. Yeah."

"Stand up and tell me your name. You won't last a day if you're shy."

The guy instantly jumped to his feet. "Daniel Perez."

"Daniel. What's your question?"

"I was wondering, where did you start out?"

Damien grinned and it turned into a sharp baring of teeth when he saw most wanted to know the answer. He knew what they were thinking.

"For those of you who think I have no idea what I'm talking about since I am a Shrod, and therefore probably hand fed my position, I'd like to discredit those opinions. I started here when I was nineteen. I started at the bottom as an errand boy, a mail room clerk, then data entry all the while attending University full time. Oh my God, and then I had to deal with legal reporting. Seriously, have you ever spent hours locked away in a room with five blood sucking lawyers?! I have! Not fun!"

Many people winced. Most laughed.

"Yeah. And that sort of thing went on for a year! I think my father was trying to teach me patience… obviously that didn't work." More laughter. "Anyway, I'm where I am now because I worked for it. I worked hard. I work hard for my father and this corporation and if I see anything less from any of you, I will personally cut you."

Jared winced.

"From the program," Damien added on, having seen that.

Tony snickered.

"I'd also like to point out that the building you are currently sitting in. This one right here. Yeah, I designed it. This is my baby." That surprised every single person in the place. Everyone except Tony. Jared was even shocked. How had he never known that? "I built her… well, not the actual building process because I can't use a hammer properly, but you get the idea!

"The point is, Shrod expects excellence from every one of you. Me included. If I didn't know what I was doing, I would not be here. Have your questions in that regard been answered?"

Half the audience nodded.

"Great. So now as much as I'd like to stand up here and talk about myself- I could do it all day," he said with a grin, and again that was met with laughter, "let's move on to the company. Shrod Group. A multinational conglomerate company. The first thing you should have done before even applying was to get online at Shrod dot com. How many of you did that?" all attendees raised their hands. "Fine. Most of you seem to have common sense. Great. Then you've already learned our core business areas are telecommunications and media. Scientific advancements, financial services, travel, and my personal favorite, fashion.

"We have our fingers dipped in much more than that, and we're striving for future investments in healthcare, entertainment and lifestyle. Personally I'm striving to invest in a flying car." He grinned. "Wouldn't that be fun?"

Jared groaned and shook his head.

"I see you shaking your head, Newton! It'll be fun!" he turned to the crowd. "What do you think?" he received an enthusiastic response. Jared shook his head again. These people loved Damien. "This guy," Damien jerked a thumb in his lover's direction, "is all about space exploration and advancement in technologies." And that was met with enthusiastic responses. Damien laughed. "Yeah. Okay. And you know what, we're gonna get there!"

He paused, took a slight breath. Wished for a damn podium to lean on and a fucking bottle of water. Time to get off the stage.

"Here at Shrod we're looking for excellence, as I've already said. We're also looking for risk takers and people who can think outside the box. Fresh new minds are what will help this ever growing business succeed. So it's not that we don't have enough openings for every single one of you. It's that not all of you will be a good fit. Guess if you really want to be here, you better make yourself fit. Just because you get in doesn't mean you are going to stay. No one here has the time to carry someone else's load.

"If you have any more questions my associate Newton will take them. Now then, you're going to spend the next thirty minutes watching a video that basically just reiterates everything I've just said, so feel free to take a nap. But when Newton get's on the stage you better pay the fuck attention. He's not nice like me. Thank you and welcome to Shrod Group, people."

Damien switched off the microphone and headed across the stage, completely vein enough to enjoy the applause and cat whistling going on. The moment he cleared the screen, the film started playing and the room went quiet again. Damien descended the short flight of stairs to stand beside Jared, making sure to keep his boyfriend in between himself and Mr. Tok. Jared immediately held out a bottle of water to him. Again, this man was a god.

"How'd I do?" he asked quietly as he twisted off the cap.

"You were mostly brilliant," Jared answered, watching Damien drink down half the bottle.

"Your language could have been better, Damien," Tok muttered.

Jared turned to him with cold eyes. "On the contrary, I believe he did well in breaking the ice. Most here are younger than Damien." He was not blind to the fact that somehow and for some reason Mr. Tok bothered Damien to an extreme level. He turned back to his lover. "You honestly designed the entire building?"

"Yep. When Daddy started talking about building up into a campus here, I told him I wanted in on the action. Three others on campus are mine as well."

"You never told me…"

"It's just something that hasn't come up yet, bastard. Wasn't intentionally keeping it from you."

Jared turned away to scan the sea of faces, frowning. "See any promising recruits?"

"Yes. The girl in my seat. Next to Tony? Her name's Donna Price. She's super eager and doesn't mind putting herself out there either," he said as he fished out the intern's card and passed it over. "She's a go getter for sure. Dominant personality. Very determined. I want to see what she can do, Jared."

"I don't think you need to be hasty-"

"Tok, you are in no way in charge of anything here," Jared ground out. "Now if you would be so kind as to stop putting down anything Shrod says, that would be grand. You are here to speak and nothing more."

Damien sighed happily and leaned back slightly against his lover. It was a moment later when he felt Jared messing with his jacket pocket and knew Jared and just slipped something inside. His smile grew. Strangely to him, no one was taking a nap. He would have. But that was just him. Just like it was just like him to take only one question when he should have taken more.

When the film ended, Jared took the stage, announced himself as Director of Operations. This completely floored some people, probably because Jared was so young. He was intimidating and everyone was reacting to that. It was great. Jared went on to scare the shit out of the new recruits by being brutally honest about the workloads and what was expected. He went into more detail about the percentages of who would still be around at the end of the third month. Two people got up and left during his speech. Jared was no nonsense. And then he asked for questions, took about a dozen, answered those meticulously, and lost another four during that time. His daddy would be proud.

The audience seemed to breathe in relief when Jared exited the stage. His applause was subdued.

"How'd I do?" he asked with a smirk.

"You were fucking scary! Was that necessary?"

"We don't need week people here."

"Yeah, Daddy would definitely be proud."

Jared took that as a complete compliment.

When Tok took the stage, Damien hardly paid attention. The man was boring. And sickening and it annoyed him that he didn't know why he had such a burning dislike of the man.

"What did he do to you?" Jared whispered in his ear.

"I don't know. Nothing, I guess. He's always been so uptight about me, about me being here… but that's not it. I just… I don't like being anywhere near him. Strange, huh."

Jared studied Tok as the man went on to bore the pants off everyone. Abraham Tok, conservative to the core. Completely staunch republican. He was really just a politician for the company. He wasn't one of Shrod's favorite people but he got the job done, which was why Shrod put up with him. But the fact Damien reacted so negatively to him… Damien didn't do that without reason.

What pissed Jared off the most was the way Tok interacted with Damien. The man was always treating Damien like a little boy. Like he didn't know what he was doing here. Putting Damien's ideas down every chance he could get. It was unfounded. Ridiculous. Damien alone had brought it over twenty million dollars to the company the last two years. Also another reason why he had been chosen for the spread of Forbes last summer. He earned it.

"How are the specials?"

"James is good. Really good. Really knows how to play the awkward introvert. Too cute! And both of them, I couldn't tell if they were acting. I mean they've got great chemistry."

"They do, yeah."

"You should have seen them! Heard them together!" Damien chuckled under his breath. "Should have seen Ryuu's eyes bug out of his head the first moment he saw James in a suit." He looked at Jared over his shoulder. "He wants some of that."

"The feeling is mutual."

Damien spun around. "What? Really?!"

"Shh."

"Sorry," he whispered. "Really?"

"It's complicated."

"How is it complicated?"

"He doesn't want to want some of that."

Damien smiled, pressed a hand against Jared's silk tie. "You know what I want?" he asked lowly, leaning in just slightly.

"People are looking," Jared told him, but he didn't sound bothered.

"Good for them. It's good they're looking. If some of these people don't like it, they can take a fucking hike and go find some other place to work. You didn't answer."

"You want what I put in your pocket."

"After that."

"Princess, I am astonishingly busy today."

Damien couldn't get angry over that. It was true. After being gone two weeks, they both had a lot of work to catch up on and Jared had to go on a business trip tomorrow. "Yeah. I know."

"I'm taking you out tonight though." Damien blasted him with that fantastic smile. Jared had to remember he was standing in front of a crowd and had to keep the bastard look on his face. "And Tony?"

"He's really excited to be here."

"He better work his arse off or I will kick it."

Damien snickered. "You know he will. Not just for this company, but for himself and for Shane. He's gonna want to be set up by the time Shane gets to his internship."

Jared nodded.

Once Tok was done speaking, he immediately left the vicinity, much to Damien's relief. And then that lady, Mary Allen stepped on stage to give out instructions for the next order of business. There would be a half hour break and then the group was instructed to head out of the front doors where the shuttles would be lined up to ferry people about. Everyone was of course invited to explore the building they were currently in.

Damien sort of bounced on his toes as everyone finally stood up. "Thirty minutes! Perfect!"

"First take me to Toyama and he can introduce Reynolds to me."

They walked over just as James dropped his packet again, and again he managed to spill all his papers out of it. "S-sorry." It was Miss Price who knelt down to help him gather his papers before she quickly took off, at once sensing now wasn't the time to interrupt. That or she was just too scared of Newton. Damien wasn't going to hold that against her.

Ryuu blew out a breath and looked skyward before turning to Jared and Damien. Jared shook Tony's hand first. "I hope you were listening."

"Why were you looking directly at me when you said it was likely most of us would cave under the pressure?" Tony demanded.

Jared smirked and turned to Ryuu. "Glad to have you on board," he murmured after bowing to the man.

"I am eager to get started, Newton. I enjoyed your speech." Ryuu returned honestly and then gestured to the man hiding slightly behind him. "Jared Newton, meet James Reynolds. Our technologies expert."

"H-hi." James popped out a hand.

Jared raised one unimpressed brow and after hesitation, shook it. "Welcome. I hope you are better on computers than you are on your feet."

James fidgeted nervously and pushed his glasses back up his nose. He seemed to be too nervous to meet Jared's eyes.

"Don't mind him," Damien said to James. "He's always mean."

"I can see now why you started calling him bastard," Tony muttered to Damien. "Totally fits."

Jared stared at him hard. Tony coughed and took a step back. Okay. Don't fuck with Jared at his work place. Got it.

Jared then turned back to James and Ryuu. "I must get back to work. But I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again soon. Be nice to pick your brain, Toyama."

Ryuu nodded. "I have had similar thoughts."

Jared gave a flat smile and started walking away, rubbing against Damien's side. He paused beside Tony, dropped his hand to his friend's shoulder. "You'll do fine, Tony. You have my complete confidence as well as Shrod's."

Tony blew out a breath and nodded. "Thanks, Jared."

When he was gone, Damien smiled at the three before him. "Okay. So Newton gave me a present. I would love to share with you. We've got twenty-five minutes and like I said. I built this place. I know all the… secure spots."

Not too long after that, they gathered around in a stairway at the top of the building. No cameras in there. The stairway was only used by the maintenance crew. There was no roof, so there was a good breeze. All had discarded their jackets and were passing the joint around.

"Nice speech," Billy told him.

Damien laughed. "Nice performance!"

"Did you two rehearse?" Tony asked.

Ryuu shook his head. "No. We had not seen each other since Friday."

"You guys were pretty damn awesome."

Billy laughed. "Yeah. Guess Ryuu was okay."

"Please, I made that performance."

"No way, wanker! That was all me!" Billy paused, stared at the joint between his fingers. "This shite is awesome too."

"Jared got it for me."

"That guy? The arsehole who stood on that stage and scared the shite out of everyone, including me?" Billy exclaimed.

"Why are you so surprised by that?"

Billy made some sort of noise, shook his head. Then smirked. "Yeah. It was good seeing the cold-blooded fecker again. Really thought he was losing his touch. But seeing him like that was brilliant and enlightening. Is he like that all the time at work?"

Damien nodded. "Yeah. Pretty much."

"After that speech, I'm not surprised any more he's Operations Director," said Tony.

"Oh he fought for that position. At the time I was against it on principal. I still hated him then," Damien said. "That promotion made it impossible to get out of working closely with him."

"What exactly do ya do here, princess?"

Damien shrugged. "Everything."

"Have an actual title?"

He looked at Ryuu funny. "Shrod Heir."

"Okay then."

Damien produced a small bottle of eye drops and passed that around. "We need to get back down. The shuttles will be leaving soon."

Billy pushed off the railing and grabbed at his jacket to put it on. "Damien." The tone of his voice had Damien giving him his full attention. "That bloke. Tok." Again he didn't miss the grimace. "He's been working here, what? Thirty years about, yes?"

"Yeah."

"So he worked for your grandfather?"

"That's right."

Billy nodded and tugged at his fucking tie. He met Ryuu's eyes briefly before turning back to Damien. He wouldn't say to him, but he didn't like the way that man was always glaring at the princess. The thing was, it wasn't only a glare. Something was just off about him.

"Why?"

"Where's his office?"

"Not here on campus. Downtown where I and Jared have our main offices."

"The exec building then."

"Yeah."

"I'm going to need to get in there."

"I'm sure Jared can get it arranged. It might have to be after orientation though if you really want to keep this charade up."

"For the time being, it's the best way ta go."

Damien nodded and then he and Tony left first. "Hurry up!" he called over his shoulder.

" _Did you find some shit already?"_

" _Maybe."_

" _When's lunch?"_

Billy turned to him and laughed. "I was being completely serious."

Ryuu grinned. "Yes, I know."

"We appear to be a good team, Toyama."

"Will you lighten up around me now, Irish?"

"Yeah." They started following after the others. "Hey… come over tonight. For dinner. I'll be starving. Bring your cousin. Dr. Evil likes him. I'm getting a new tv too."

"Okay. You, um… nice choice of suit."

"Yeah? I'm trying to go for nerdy. Did it work?"

Ryuu snorted. "Yes. Absolutely. But… nerdy works for you."

They looked away from each other as they took the last step to the landing, both surprised to see Tony and Damien waiting at the door. Both of them were watching them, clearly having heard them talking. Tony shook his head as he turned to open the door, a small grin on his face. Damien smirked at them. And then he laughed outright when both reached up to tug on their neckties.

* * *

"What did you think?" Shane asked Riku as they walked out of Calculus, their last class of the day. "Wasn't so bad, right?"

Riku shrugged.

"I get the feeling you didn't understand everything being said."

"I do not know your language as well as Ryuu."

"You're pretty damn good at it already, but I can help if you want. With your classes. Especially since I guess we're spending a lot of time together. That's your job, right?"

"Mainly. Yes."

"Well?"

"I would appreciate it."

Shane smiled at him. Knowing full well Riku was a little ticked off that he hadn't understood everything going on in that class. "Want to go check out the training facilities?"

"Yeah. Sounds good."

They took a detour and headed to the sports division. Along with Riku, Shane had spotted the shadows Shrod had set him up with. Two of them. A man and a woman. They had gone in with him during his advanced Biology II class, since that was an auditorium and they were easily able to slip in at the back, but they had remained outside in the hall during Calculus due to the classrooms there being so small.

They got to the training building and toured around. Riku's somber mood lifted then. He clearly liked what he was seeing. "Yeah, it's bad ass. I love it here."

"I'm a student. I can use it?"

"Yep!"

"Rocket!"

Shane swiveled around. They were standing just beside the indoor track. Jerry was running up to them.

"Coach?"

"Rocket, where's your damn schedule?"

Shane's smile slipped a little as he rummaged around in his back pack to find it. Jerry snatched it out of his hand and scanned it. Then he looked back at Shane, narrowed his eyes.

"But the doctors said-"

"Goddammit, boy! Go get suited up now! We're gonna have a little test."

Shane immediately shoved his backpack at Riku and rushed away to the locker rooms. He knew better than to argue with Jerry when he was like this. At least he was wearing sneakers and there was always clean on hand training gear in the locker rooms.

Jerry turned to Riku once Shane was gone. "Mai's family?"

Riku nodded. "Cousin."

"You going to school here now?" Again, he nodded. Jerry looked him up and down. "Done any track and field?"

"Football."

"Soccer?"

"Yes."

"You like sports?"

"It is enjoyable."

Jerry brightened. "Well then. Go have a seat. We'll talk later."

Soon Shane returned in shorts and a t-shirt. "Coach, what's going on?"

Jerry jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the indoor track. "Go stretch, Williamson. And then I want three laps. Just warm up laps."

Shane nodded and did as was told. During those laps, Riku watched as people started drawing near, standing around talking and watching Shane, who didn't see anything but the track. A woman with long dark hair came to stand beside Shane's coach. They were standing close enough to him that he could hear what they were saying.

"What do you think, Mary?"

"He's not showing any signs of physical distress at the moment. But other than that, it's hard to say. I need a closer look."

They didn't speak again until Shane finished his laps and walked over.

"How are you feeling, Shane?" asked Mary.

"Good."

"Any cramps?"

"Nope. I run every day, so…"

"Get any hiccups in your breathing?"

Shane frowned. "I'm fine. I healed."

Jerry snorted. "You wanna race?"

"Yes!"

"Then answer."

"No. I don't have a problem breathing."

"Starting blocks!" Jerry shouted.

A guy with curly red hair appeared with things in his hand, another dark skinned guy was walking beside him, and everyone around the track who pretended not to be interested stopped pretending. They all turned around and gathered.

"Okay, Rocket." Jerry dropped a hand to Shane's shoulder. Kneaded a little bit. "Show me what you've got. Four hundred this time."

Riku got up and moved closer too. He understood what was going on because he knew the story. Overheard Ru-san and Mai talking about it. Knew Shane had kept up with his running but he hadn't actually been in a race since before the attack. On impulse, he pulled out his phone to start recording. He looked around and noticed many others doing the same.

Shane walked half dazedly over to the other guys, lifting his arms, threading his fingers through his hair. The curly haired guy and the other one slapped Shane on the back when he reached them.

"Don't hold back!" Jerry shouted. "Any of you!"

The three nodded. Shane's eyes were glued to the track at his toes.

"Runners ready?"

Red hair and the other guy immediately dropped down to take position. Shane hesitated. _"Come on, Otouto-san,"_ Riku murmured.

"Let's go Shane!"

"You can do it!"

"Run, Rocket, Run!" and that started off the mantra.

Riku looked around again and noticed way more people were now surrounding the track. He even spotted Shane's friends, Mimi, Connor, and Stella in the room on the other side. How the hell did they even know what was happening? How did any of these people? He got the feeling this was a spur of the moment thing for the Coach.

Finally Shane joined the other two after looking towards the crowd, shaking his head and laughing.

"On your mark…get set…GO!"

And they were fucking off. Sprinting around the track at a break neck speed. The crowd continued to call out encouragements. Few for the other runners, most were there giving support to Shane. He seemed to feed off it because he quickly outstripped the other two. Outstripped the taller and probably older runners by seconds. Riku pulled his attention away from the screen to watch the race with his own eyes. Eyes that had grown wide in surprise at how fast Shane could run. It completely made sense now why he was called the Rocket.

The race ended and the crowd erupted as the runners started to slow their speed. The Coach was shaking his head. "Forty-five seconds. Jesus! Mary, would you look at this!" He shoved the stop watch under her nose. "He did it in forty-five seconds! Doesn't even have the right shoes on!"

Shane slowed down to a walk and then just kind of fell to his knees. He leaned over and covered his eyes with the heels of his palms. Riku could see his shoulders shaking. The other runners dropped beside him, big smiles. Throwing arms around him. Others were pouring onto the track. And then the coach sprinted over, shouted everyone back. He grabbed at Shane's wrist and jerked the freshman to his feet. Riku could see Shane was crying. Thompson started hugging him, rubbing his back. The man's smile was a mile wide. Shane dropped his face against the man's shoulder and Coach Thompson dropped a hand on top of his hair, patting his head.

"Shi no shiri kikkā."

Not long after that and across town, Tony got five consecutive video messages. One from Mai, followed by Stella, and then Red and two others from his swim team.

Damien also received the message from Mai. He knew because they were both leaving Orientation together.

"What's going on?" Damien wondered as they got into Tony's truck.

"Don't know, but I have this feeling…" he quickly played Mai's message while Damien did the same on his phone.

"It's from Riku!"

"Shhh!" Tony gripped the steering wheel tightly with one hand as he watched the video play out. His heart was pounding. "W-what's that mean? What Riku said at the end?"

Damien laughed. It was kind of watery. Tony didn't blame him. He felt the same way. That had been emotional. They were right there with Shane every step of the way. "Kicker of Death's Ass. Or probably more to the point, Death's Ass Kicker," he announced as he went about sending that video to Jared and his father. He asked his daddy to send it to Miss D. Mai would have already sent it to Caleb and Sheera. "Ha ha! He's got a yakuza name now!"

Tony laughed and then dropped his head against the steering wheel. Damien leaned over and rubbed his shoulder. "Come on, hun. Let's go find him and give him a hug."

* * *

They ended up going to Billy's. Shane had texted saying Riku was giving him a ride and they were gonna hang. Riku had to go by his Aunt's place to pick up Dr. Evil and then he was supposed to meet Ru-san at the Irish's place. Billy said it was okay since he had the building on lock down now.

Damien laughed and rubbed his hands together. "Perfect."

"What are you scheming now?" Tony demanded as he parked his truck next to Damien's hardly ever used Jag.

"Come on! A guy like Billy? I want him."

"What?"

"In our group, hun."

"Dame, you can't just force people to like us."

"Yes I can! He was so awesome today. He's totally sticking around. Shane is my secret weapon."

"Don't use my boyfriend for your nefarious plots."

"There's nothing nefarious about it."

"Just take a moment to think about what you just said and about who you're talking about."

Damien blew out a breath. "If he stays… Jared won't feel the need to leave with him."

"What?! Seriously, Damien. You're worried about that?"

"Jared was a mercenary! A soldier, a killer! Why would a guy like him stick around for a normal life?!"

"Dude. Jared's not going anywhere. He's where he wants to be."

"That's… that's what he said."

Tony nodded and shoved him. "If he were going to leave, he would have already. Not climbed the ladder at Shrod to just suddenly take off. Just like you implied in your speech. The life of business is cutthroat. Jared get's off on that. It's why your dad hired him in the first place."

They finally got out of the vehicle. "Love the truck by the way," Damien said.

Tony nodded with a huge grin. "Did you know your dad was going to do that?"

"No. Not about the truck or the house or condos. He's sneaky like that." As he passed his car, Damien reached out to pet her. "We'll go for a ride tonight, sweetheart," he promised. "Mommy's not abandoning you."

Tony laughed. "I think you meant daddy."

"No. I said that right."

Tony stopped in front of a regular elevator and pushed the up button. Damien eyed the doors. "This is weird. Never used one of these before."

"It's the exact same. Almost. Just more buttons inside."

"Mine's way better."

They stepped inside and Tony pushed for Billy's floor. When they got to his door, before they could knock, a woman down the hall appeared from the next apartment. They stared at her, she stared back, and then she smiled that interested smile. Damien opened his mouth but Tony jabbed him in the side.

"Don't you dare," he growled.

"Hi there! Are you living there too? I saw another guy move in a couple of days ago. Are you his roommates? My name's Stacey, by the way."

"Actually," Damien answered, "I live in the penthouse. The man who lives here is a new co-worker."

"The penthouse?"

"That's right."

The interest kind of dimmed then. It wasn't a secret that Damien Shrod lived in the penthouse. Anyone who had lived in the building long enough soon came upon that information and everyone in the world already knew he was gay. Damien turned back to the door and raised his hand to knock. "Nice meeting you, Stacey."

"Right back at you." She smiled at them and headed for the elevators. Damien didn't actually knock until she'd gone in the elevator and the doors shut her away from them. He then did the whole four safety knocks thing.

"Ryuu!"

" _You get it! It's your fucking house! Get off the fucking computer already!"_

"I'm about to throw my knife at you, boyo!"

" _And why the hell am I over here installing your fucking television, Irish?!"_

"Cause you're awesome."

Tony looked at Damien. "What was Ryuu saying?" to which his friend just snorted and shook his head.

Two beats later, Ryuu wrenched the door open. He grunted something and stepped aside. Once they cleared, he slammed the door shut.

"Oi! Bloody wanker!"

" _Next time you get it,"_ Ryuu growled. Billy lifted his eyes from the screen and watched Ryuu prowl back to the flat screen leaned up against the wall opposite of the kitchen. The new television was surrounded by a nest of cables and other equipment. Billy smirked in amusement before focusing back on his computer.

"Can I request English while we're here?" Tony asked.

"But I like when he speaks Japanese," Billy returned. "Everything he says sounds indignant."

Ryuu whipped his head to the side and shot him that scary glare.

"Princess, go give him a beer, wouldja. Calm the bloke down."

Damien headed for the kitchen while Tony went to see if he could help Ryuu. Damien brought two beers to those two and then joined Billy at the table. "Where's the rest of your surveillance equipment?"

"Got one of the guest rooms set up. You can have a look if ya want."

Damien nodded, though he didn't get up. He had his hands wrapped around his beer, watching the condensation pool around his fingers. Billy pulled his eyes off his screen, saw the look on his face, and then shut his laptop.

"Ya got something ya want ta talk about?"

Damien lifted his eyes. Shrugged.

Billy pulled off his glasses, chewed the inside of his cheek as he looked across the room to Ryuu and Tony, who were already arguing about which cables go where. "Saw that video. Of the kid on campus. News gets around fast there."

"Yeah. There's a campus wide social messaging system. Kind of like Twitter. That's probably why there were so many people there to see it."

"Big deal, huh?"

Damien nodded. "Shane hadn't raced before that. Think he was afraid too. He's been running. Knew he could run, but I think he was afraid he wouldn't ever be like he was before the stabbing. He's pretty popular amongst the sports jocks there, even for a freshmen. The thing is, he was told he wouldn't be able to compete this year, so that's been hard on him, holding him back. He loves to compete."

"That's not really what's on your mind, is it?"

"I was just wondering… were you planning on trying to get Jared to go back out with you? To leave? When this is all over?"

"I've thought about it, since that first call… but even then I knew it wouldn't happen. He told you. He told you everything when he didn't have ta. He told you his real name, Shrod. When he said that, I knew he was fixed. Plus this job…" Billy shook his head. "It was tailored for him, yeah. He really loves his job. When he got up to speak, it was clear. Heya," Billy laughed and leaned over the table to yank on Damien's hair when the guy still didn't look convinced. "He's fixed on you, boyo. Don't ever doubt that. My man is lost."

"Your man…"

"Irish! Come help! You could do this in seconds!"

"Fuck off for a moment, Ryuu! Not like that," he went on to Damien. "He's lost in you…" Billy then groaned and rolled his eyes. "Can't believe I just said that. You people are bad for me."

That had Damien laughing.

"There we go." Billy nodded. "Better."

A hand was suddenly slammed down next to Billy. Loud and hard. Damien jumped in his chair. But Billy… Billy reacted by jumping out of his chair with a knife already in hand. Damien blinked in astonishment. He'd moved so fast. The most astonishing thing, Ryuu had grabbed his wrist and halted the knife movement to where it stopped five inches away from his throat. With one hand he held the wrist and his other hand was near Billy's throat. His own knife drawn and pressed against the man's neck.

Billy's face was blank though his eyes expressed surprise at how quickly Ryuu had countered. Ryuu was halfway snarling. His face the picture of violence. Damien watched them eagerly.

" _You caught me off guard once,"_ Ryuu growled. _"Not gonna happen again. I aint weak and slow like you seem to think."_

" _Don't think that. And I don't like knives at my neck."_

" _Ditto."_ But neither of them moved. Just kept standing there, staring at each other with hard eyes. And Damien knew that look.

It was really fantastic, the tension. And then Billy slowly lifted his free hand to grasp Ryuu's wrist. Slowly he drew the knife away from his throat. As he did that, Ryuu let go of Billy's other hand.

" _Don't fucking pull on me again!"_ Ryuu barked. _"You're a professional, but so am I! Why don't you start giving me a little fucking respect in that regard! You know who I am, Irish!"_

Tony was standing up by the tv. He looked like he seriously thought the two were about to kill each other. Damien might have thought the same if he weren't in the position to see both their faces and the eyes. Some serious emotion was playing in the eyes. It was deep too.

Billy didn't have a chance to respond before another four knocks sounded at the door. Damien wasn't sure he would have responded. He looked frozen. And half repentant too. He probably hadn't been taking Ryuu serious in regards to his position in one of the biggest yakuza clans to date. And he was all about respect where respect was due given skills. He hated being underestimated himself. Or maybe, Damien thought, he just had been trying not to think about it. Trying not to get too close. Because again, that emotion in the eyes couldn't be blinded.

Ryuu spun away at the sound of the knocks and went back to the television. Tony moved back a couple of feet when he finally saw Ryuu's face. The guy looked like he wanted to do some harm to someone's face. But when Ryuu looked at Tony, his voice was calm.

"Help me get this done."

However, when Billy opened the front door and Shane shot inside followed closely by Riku and Dr. Evil, Tony forgot all about the television.

"Tony! Tony, did you hear?"

"I saw the video," Tony answered as he quickly made his way to him.

"No!" And then Shane jumped on him, wrapping legs around his waist, laughing and hugging onto him tightly. He kissed Tony and then pulled back slightly. He had that wide excited smile on his face. "No, not that! I'm back in! I get to compete this year! Junior Varsity!"

"Sweet. I get to see you in those sexy track pants again. And those things are so easy to get off." Shane laughed and hugged him again. Tony buried his face against Shane's neck. His arms locking around his boyfriend tightly. "You were amazing. So proud of you."

"Hey! I want to hug him too!" Damien snapped. "Let go, Tony!"

Shane laughed again because it was his legs that were completely sealed around Tony's middle. But he unlocked himself and jumped down, fully prepared for Damien's attack. Tony turned and went after Riku, who had gone into the kitchen to deliver Dr. Evil and the satchel to Billy.

"Hey, thanks," he said to Riku. "For taping that."

Riku shrugged. "I knew the… significance."

Tony grinned. "You're a nice guy."

"Ru-san says no matter what we do or how we are… people are still important."

"Good teacher," Billy murmured.

Riku nodded. Tony looked at Billy, who shrugged.

"I may be a killer, but it's not like I don't… I don't see people. It's not like I don't care. Dec taught me that."

And that, Tony thought as he watched Billy walk away and disappear into his bedroom, is what set him and Jared apart from the actual numb psychotic killers out there.

When Billy disappeared into his room, Ryuu stood and stared down at the flat screen. Contemplating on kicking it. Why was he so bothered at having lost his temper with the Irish? Usually he didn't care and Billy kind of deserved it. Still, he felt the need to apologize. WHY?

He turned back to the others when someone's phone started going off. Damien's. The guy answered, his lips turning down.

"Bastard, you better not be cancelling on me… what? Seriously? Mother fucker!..." Damien huffed and nodded. "Okay. Yeah. I'm coming in. Be there in twenty… No I've got the jag here. No need to pick me up…" Damien huffed again and rolled his eyes. "Yes, bastard. There's enough gas in the car. Geez…"

He hung up and went to grab his jacket off the chair, muttering under his breath. "Damn Boleman. More trouble than he's worth. Hey guys, I gotta jet. Work, work, work. Maybe I can get out of Orientation tomorrow… Bye!" and then he was gone.

He wasn't gone two minutes before Billy rushed out of the room. "The jag? Did he mean the Jaguar? The sleek black one in the garage?" he asked urgently.

"Yeah, man. That's his," Tony replied. "What's up?"

"That's been here since before you went on your trip, right?"

"Yeah."

"He hasn't used it since then?"

"No. What-"

Billy raced for the door and wrenched it open. Damien was already gone, heading down in the elevator. Billy went to the second one, started punching the button. He'd never make it down in time using the stairs.

"What the hell is going on?" Tony demanded as he, Riku, Shane, and Ryuu flooded into the hall.

"I never checked! I never checked that vehicle! I didn't realize it was his! Get back inside."

"To hell with that!"

"Tony, it's probably nothing. Just… get back inside the apartment." The door opened and he jumped in. Ryuu and Tony slipped inside just before the doors closed.

He was too on edge to even curse at them. Though he was probably working himself over nothing. It was nothing. He just hated missing things. And then the lift doors opened and it was quiet. He took one step out and the cars to the right of him exploded.

The explosion knocked him back into Ryuu and Tony. It was big enough to rock the foundation of the building. He'd felt the heat slap him against the face; debris flew everywhere, even into the lift. Ryuu got a nasty cut across his face, but the guy ignored that and was staring out into the garage horrified while the alarms of every other car not touched by the bomb sounded off around them.

Tony pushed Billy off, tried running out. "DAMIEN!" They grabbed at him, keeping back from the fire. "Damien—Fucking get off me! DAMIEN!"


	34. Episode Thirty-Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a long one folks. To make up for the long absence.

 

 

**Episode Thirty-Four**

 

Smoke poured into the elevator, surrounding the three stunned men; billowing from one part of the underground parking garage. Alarms blared and already in the distance, sirens sounded, growing more loudly by the second. Billy and Ryuu's hands were like vices around Tony's arms.

"It's not safe yet!" Billy snapped when Tony continued to try and wrestle away from them.

"Let me fucking go or I'll rip your head off, Billy."

"I've had worse threats," the Irish man murmured as he leaned out of the lift, eyes quickly taking in the scene, narrowing on the car still in flames and trying to keep a cool head despite knowing Damien was in that car. But it was too late now. It would have been too late the moment the car exploded.

"Damien!" A woman's scream echoed around them, coming from the garage. "Oh my God! Damien! Sheera!"

Ryuu's eyes widened in realization. He let go of Tony and jolted out of the elevator in a panic.

"Fecking—Ryuu!" Billy shouted in fury; he dropped Tony's arm and rushed out of the elevator after the Japanese man. Tony was right beside him.

Luckily it seemed the fire had already burned itself out in most places. Only smoke billowed around them now. They found Mai kneeling between two cars some yards away from the explosion. As they sprinted for her, they could just make out a man's legs next to her. Another body was laid out close by in an open area.

Damien was in front of Mai, on his back. Blood leaking from his ears and nose; his body covered in cuts and soot. A bloody patch blossoming from his left arm. The moment Mai saw them, she pointed a trembling finger to the other body. Sheera.

"He's alive, Tony. Go check Sheera," she quickly assured and leaned against her brother when he dropped down beside her and planted a relieved kiss to her forehead. "Can you call an ambulance, Ryuu?"

Tony swerved and headed for Sheera; she lay out in the open, halfway to the exploded cars. He dropped down next to her, gently pulled her onto her back. Her ears were bleeding also, but that was as far as the injuries went, outwardly anyway. When he moved her and she groaned, Tony barely kept from crying in relief. He turned towards the others when he heard the sirens getting closer.

"Billy, you need to get out of here. Go back upstairs before the cops show up. Call Jared."

Billy hesitated. Eyes solely on Damien. He shook his head slightly. Ryuu grabbed his arm and stood, dragging the man back to the elevator. "Go call Jared. Watch Shane and Riku. They are alive."

"This is what happens when I'm careless."

" _Cut out that bullshit, Irish. This is not your fault."_

Billy looked at him. Eyes huge. Guilt and shock. It made Billy look vulnerable and it pissed Ryuu off. More than that, it made him want to touch Irish differently. Instead he shook the man to bring him back to his senses. "Did you not hear me? Do as I say! You need to make sure the police have no reason to question you on this." Ryuu pressed forward a little. " _Right now, Billy._ "

Billy rapidly blinked at him, coming back to himself. Then he nodded and moved. Before rushing back upstairs, he moved a little closer to Damien's burning Jaguar. He quickly pulled out his phone and started snapping photos. He moved around the area quickly. Taking photos from every angle. He only just made it into the elevator when the first patrol car zoomed into the garage, closely followed by an ambulance.

* * *

From his office, Jared could hear sirens but he paid no attention to it. This was the city. It would be weird not hearing the occasional emergency vehicles throughout the day. He glanced at the clock hanging on his wall and frowned at it. Damien was late. Twenty minutes had come and gone. Then he smirked. Course Damien was late. When was he not? Still, they had work to do and Boleman's incompetence ran deep, leaving them with way too much extra work to do. Unfortunately, his Arizona business trip was shaping up to be longer than anticipated. It would need to be more than two days.

Jared stood up and headed for his window when his private mobile started going off. He looked out as he answered, just making out the rising smoke of some fire. A number of flashing lights headed in that direction. More lights than usual. He frowned. It was very near Damien's penthouse.

"Yes?"

_"First things first, Dec. Don't go losing yer head, mate. Damien's alive. He's still alive and being transported to hospital. Car bomb."_

His insides went cold; he suddenly found it hard to breathe. Hard to think. His sight returned to the billowing smoke in the distance and he could feel the cell phone cutting into his hand from the sudden extreme pressure.

 _"Dec! Dec, he's still alive!"_  Billy quickly went on.  _"Somehow he wasn't in the car when it went off, thank gods. But… he was close. He was thrown it looks like. Smashed into a car and rolled off. He was unconscious. Sheera was hurt too. They're both being taken to the hospital. Dec? Dec, didja hear me?"_

Jared was already out of his office before he hung up the phone without answering. Sheera and Damien would be taken to Harris, the same hospital where Shane had had to fight for his life a few short months before. If anyone asked him, Jared wouldn't be able to recall the hurried decent to the car garage or his drive to the hospital. Autopilot was fully engaged at that point. It was better than succumbing to the rage boiling just under the surface. Rage and terror. He couldn't remember the last time fear had been able to take hold of him like this.

Someone must have called Strathom because he spotted the entrepreneur veering into the ER parking lot just as he ran inside.

And then Mai was in front of him; he didn't see where she came from. She lifted on her toes, pressed a warm hand to his face, and amazingly he did feel himself calming slightly. "It's okay. He's okay, Jared. He'll be fine. Sheera too." She dropped back down and wrapped an arm around his waist to lead him further in. "Take deep breaths, sweetie. You can see him in a few minutes."

"Mai…" he paused and then cursed. "I need to call the old man."

"Come sit down," she ordered and pressed him into a chair. "I've already called Shrod. He's on his way. Don't worry about anything."

She left his side for a moment to go and intercept Jake, doing the same, talking the same. Leading the man over to where he sat. Jared took acute notice of the man's eyes. His own rage was mirrored in Strathom's eyes. The same kind of fury. A black rage which indicated the man next to him could be just as dangerous as himself. He had a file on this man, but clearly, he hadn't dug deep enough.

"They both regained consciousness on the way here," Mai quietly explained as she pulled a chair to sit in front of them. "I rode with Damien, Tony with Sheera. The paramedics indicated there was no brain damage, but we'll know for sure shortly."

"This was a car bomb?" Jake murmured. "I thought your guy was looking out for things like this."

"Now is not the time," Mai said sharply before Jared could respond. "Casting blame where it shouldn't go will not be helpful."

"Yeah." Jake blew out a breath, ran a shaking hand through his hair. "Yeah, sorry, Jared."

Jared took it at that and let it go. "Damien hasn't used the Jag in weeks," he responded.

"The moment Billy realized Damien intended to take the Jag to the office, he raced to stop Damien…"

Mai looked over her shoulder to watch Tony approach; having come from automated double doors near the reception desk. "Both are getting X-rays done now. Just to be clear," he went on with a hard look at Jake, "we're blaming no one except the people who put that bomb in Damien's car."

Mai winced. "Speaking of cars…"

Jared groaned and dropped his head to his hands. "Shit."

Tony tried not to think about the mangled burned brand-new truck which had been parked right next to the Jag. A truck he maybe had already grown overly attached too in a matter of hours. Thinking about something else seemed best. He could think clearer now since it was certain Damien and Sheera would make a full recovery. "We should get our stories straight," he finally said while sitting next to Mai. "For the cops. They'll be here eventually."

* * *

Damien's eyes snapped open. He felt disorientated as he stared up at the unattractive ceiling while running his tongue along his teeth. His mouth was dry as fuck. And then he remembered. Ah, yes. The explosion at his back and then being jettisoned forward and hitting the windshield of another car. That had hurt… he wondered if this was how Shane felt after waking up from the coma.

"Damien."

The face of the man he loved came into view. He looked worried, almost in pain. He was pale too. Damien smiled at him. "Hey, bastard. My arm hurts."

"It was fractured. Lucky it wasn't broken. Your right leg took a beating too. You'll feel that soon, I'm afraid."

Damien closed his eyes again, blowing out a breath. After some silent moments, he slowly sat up and ignored Jared's orders to lay back down as he did so. Damien frowned at the IV in his hand and the huge fucking needle sticking into his vein. His leg was in a cast. He felt fine beyond the ringing in his ears, and his arm. His back ached only a little, he didn't even feel his leg, and he was sure that was only thanks to the pain meds in his system. "Sheera? Mai?" he asked quietly but his eyes expressed panic.

"They're fine. Mai wasn't hurt and Sheera obtained scratches and bruises only. She was discharged this morning."

Damien gently moved his legs over the edge, staring at Jared. "My baby. She blew up my baby, didn't she?"

Jared winced and his eyes shot over to the other side of the room where Shrod was sitting. "Yes."

Damien slowly nodded. After a moment, his passive expression crumbled and he started crying. "That whore blew up my baby."

Jared sat beside him, pulling him close. Damien immediately hid his face against his neck. He didn't notice, but Shane and Daisy were in the room as well. Shrod quickly ushered them out to give Jared time to calm his son down.

"She killed my baby, Jared."

"I know. I'm sorry. But can you maybe focus on the fact you weren't in her at the time."

Damien calmed down just slightly. "My fag hags. They saved me."

"Are you feeling well enough to tell me what happened?"

He sniffed and then nodded. "I just got in and started her when Mai pulled up and honked her horn. I got out without turning the car off, without shutting the door. I was going say a quick hello before I went to meet you so I started to jog over. Sheera had already climbed out also to meet me halfway and Mai went on to park her car... Then the explosion…"

"Jesus. Thank you, Sheera and Mai," Jared breathed.

"SHE FUCKING BLEW UP MY BABY!"

"And what are you going to do about it?" Jared asked in a hard voice. "Cry? Go hide? Be a little bitch?"

Damien shifted just slightly in his lap. Lifted a hand to his face. "No, Jared. I'm going to cut her neck," he answered sweetly, smiling that crazy smile; his eyes blazing with the promise. "Or maybe… I'll stab her in the heart and then right after I'll let you break her neck."

"I like that option better."

"I thought you might." Damien pulled back slightly. "Billy… he's not blaming himself, is he?"

"Yes he is."

"You're not mad at him, are you?"

Jared shook his head. "The fact is I never thought to check the jag myself so this is my fault. My fucking fault..." Damien's lips started trembling, his eyes glassing over again and Jared didn't have time to stew in his guilt. "Shh, I know," he murmured when Damien dropped his face against his neck again. "She was a good girl. It was over fast. She's in a better place now."

"Sports car heaven?" asked a small voice.

Jared grinned slightly. This was ridiculous and yet he didn't feel ridiculous talking this way at all. "Yeah. Why not. Sports car heaven."

"Tony's truck…"

"It's gone too. But Shrod replaced the truck this morning."

"…I want to go home. Can we go home? I need to see Mai and Sheera too. And everyone else. And I want to see Billy and tell him to not blame himself and I want to see him and Ryuu fuck too."

Jared snorted out a laugh before squeezing the slimmer man in his arms, burying his nose into Damien's hair. He didn't speak, but his whole being was seized with agony at what almost happened.

"Hey," Damien whispered, threading a hand through his lover's hair. "I'm here, Jared. Not going anywhere."

"This was too close."

"The devil doesn't want me yet, hun."

"Damien, should you be out of bed?" a droll voice questioned from the doorway.

Damien quietly groaned and climbed off Jared to go hide under the covers; he didn't do it gracefully thanks to the cast and armbrace. Jared was off the bed and blocking the doorway in an instant. "Did you need something, Tok?"

"I've come to see Damien."

"I'm not allowing him visitors right now."

The man took on a patronizing smile. "Now Jared, I've known Damien longer and you are in no way-"

Jared straightened, looking down his nose at the man. Now seized by dangerous anger. "You might want to stop and evaluate yourself, Tok. Rethink the way you speak to me regarding Damien. As of right now, it's best if you think of me as his spouse because that's how it's going to be. How it is. And there is no fucking way I'm letting you in to see him right now. Have I made myself clear? Please go speak to Shrod should you have any further concerns."

Jared stepped back and shut the door in his face.

"Why did you do that?" Damien whispered, eyes peeking out from under the blanket.

"His presence upsets you."

Damien blinked and then pulled the blanket down until his nose was also visible. Jared could clearly see his cheeks were flushed. "You-" he paused and cleared his throat. "Can we go home now?"

"They want to keep you another night," he answered, grateful Damien wasn't going to bring it up. It had just slipped out, the spouse thing. He meant it, but he would have preferred Damien not hear it. Damien having a panic attack right now was the last thing they both needed.

"I want to go home."

"It's not happening," Jared replied firmly. "Not today. Not point arguing about it."

But of course Damien was going to argue. "No point in staying here. I'm fine."

"You wouldn't even be able to walk straight or upright."

"Then get me a fucking wheelchair and roll my ass home, Jared! RIGHT NOW!"

The man turned and went for the door. He opened it and stepped out. "He's demanding to be immediately discharged," he said to someone out of Damien's view and then he looked over his shoulder to throw a smirk at his lover. It became obvious why when Shane came barreling into the room, closely followed by his mother.

"No way, Damien. You can't leave yet!"

"Shane's right, honey. No need to rush it. Tomorrow morning is soon enough."

Damien glared murderously at Jared as he was teamed up on by the duo. Both looking at him with wide eyes. Panic and worry encasing their entire bodies. Miss D looked completely stricken.

"Goddammit, Newton," Damien growled as he slumped back in defeat. Then he turned to Shane. "Stop fussing and tell me why you're not at school right now."

"The hell do you think?!"

"Shane, let's keep our voices to inside level."

Shane nodded at his mother before turning back to the man on the bed. "It's cool if I miss one or two days of classes. I'll go back tomorrow after you're discharged. Tomorrow. Tony would have been here too but he-"

"He's got work, yeah," Damien said nodding. "Can't miss Orientation. That's an immediate dismissal."

Shane nodded. "He and Caleb are coming to visit in a couple of hours. Mai too. She just left to go get some non-hospital food for you," he ended with a grin.

Jared turned away and stepped fully into the hall where Shrod was still standing talking to a doctor. Shrod turned to him when the doctor walked away. "What was that with Abraham?"

"His presence here is unnecessary and would only cause Damien distress. I don't want him anywhere near Damien when he's not at his strongest to deal with that."

"Deal with what?"

"Really, old man? You haven't noticed? Or maybe Tok makes sure to keep on his best behavior in front of you." Jared stepped back, turned to look inside Damien's room. When he turned back to Shrod, the man was waiting with narrowed eyes for him to continue. "Do you trust him?"

"Very few people can say they have my trust. You know that. My father trusted him. Me, not so much. Are you investigating him?"

"There's something about him, Shrod. Billy saw it first day."

Shrod, without hesitating, nodded. "I'll keep him away from Damien if that is your wish."

"My wish is for many to have limited access to Damien until this is resolved."

"He's invaluable to the company-"

"He can work from home. Go in once or twice a week. If he must travel, keep it on the extreme down low. The wonders of technology, old man."

"You're a smart ass, Jared."

"Thanks."

Shrod shook his head and glanced over Jared's shoulder; eyes lingering on the police officer stationed just down the way. "A full investigation is underway," he went on softly.

"Let's go back inside," Jared answered. "This does need to be discussed."

When they went back inside, it was to find Damien stuffing his mouth with chocolate covered cherries Miss D had brought him.

"Miss D, I love you," Damien said in childish delight.

"It's not her M.O.," Jared went on quietly to Shrod. "A car bomb? That's not what she's about. So why the bomb? She sent you that fax. Killing Damien in an explosion is not the type of satisfaction she's looking for. That was instant gratification and goes against everything we know about her."

"Maybe her plans changed. Maybe she realizes we're more trouble than we're worth."

"Could be. I need to get with Billy on this but I don't think that's it. That bomb… from what Billy could see before the police arrived, from the pictures he took, luckily that bomb was amateur work. If that bomb were professional, Damien and Sheera would be dead regardless of their distance from the car. But this was big bark with little bite."

Shrod nodded before turning back to his son. "Damien." When he had his son's attention he shifted on the spot, causing Damien to sit up a little more in surprise. "Son, will you come home? Temporarily. I want you home where I can look after you as well."

Now the surprise turned into acute shock. But that lasted only a minute. "Okay, daddy!" he answered, his smile so bright.

Shrod turned to Jared. "You too."

A smirk was thrown his way. "Thinking of turning your place into a temporary fortress."

"Already built like one."

"So basically, Billy set up your building for nothing?" Shane inquired.

Now Jared winced. And then Damien also winced, but for a different reason. He had perked up even more which caused his back some pain. His leg was also starting to throb. The meds were wearing off. He was determined to ignore it for as long as he could.

"Hey Shane. Sweet little baby brother of mine," Damien began, "I need you to do me a favor."

"Anything."

"Stop by Billy's place. Bring him something to eat. He doesn't cook much."

"O-kay. You just want me to bring him food?"

"You could stay and eat with him." Damien was watching him, his face the picture of innocence. "Also let him know we'll be needing extra security at the mansion."

Knowing Damien had his mind made up on this, Jared decided he might as well help. "I'll give you a ride, Shane."

The smile Damien gave him was worth the earful he would get from Billy later.

* * *

"Forgot everyone had to relocate," Shane murmured when they passed the high rise condo building.

"Just for a week. To make sure the building's integrity is still sound after the explosion. Until the investigation of the crime scene is complete."

"Where's he staying now?"

"Hotel walking distance from Shrod campus."

"Can I drive your car?"

"Hell. No."

Shane laughed.

"Damien's not even allowed to drive her."

"Jared, is he going to be okay?"

"Doctors say he'll make a full recovery. He'll be on his feet in a matter of days and have the use of his arm again in a couple of weeks. Watching him try to text with only one hand is going to be amazing entertainment."

Shane laughed without meaning to, because it was true. He sobered quickly though. "That's not what I meant."

"I know… honestly, concerning what just happened, he's more upset about his car. She made a horrible mistake, destroying his baby. He's fucking pissed. He'll be okay, Shane."

Shane nodded, looked out the window. "The hospital sucks," he whispered.

Jared made a sound of agreement and started tapping his thumbs aggressively against the steering wheel. After a moment, he glanced at his passenger. "Is there such a thing as sports car heaven?"

Shane turned to him, blinked. And then blinked again. The corner of his mouth lifted. "What now? What did you say?"

"Sports car heaven. Is there such a thing?"

"Sorry, didn't get that either."

Jared clenched his teeth, but after a moment he said it again and was unsurprised when Shane started laughing.

He couldn't help it. Those words coming from the spy's mouth. Too funny. He settled just slightly when the man next to him sent him the look. "Came from Damien, right?" Jared nodded. "Sure. Whatever makes him feel better. And now he'll be able to enjoy picking out a new car."

"Shane, the man kept that car for nearly eight years. She wasn't top of the line anymore and yet he treated her like she was…"

"Oh yeah," Shane murmured. Jared had a good point. Damien loved going out and buying new shit. But he had seriously been in love with his jag. Replacing her would probably be painful. "Well then I guess you're going to be his new chauffeur for a while."

"He won't be travelling much, so that won't be a problem."

Soon they were standing outside Billy's temp hotel suite. Jared knocked four times and then unlocked the door. "He's not back yet, but he'll be here soon."

Shane shifted the bags of food in his arms as he followed the man inside. "So why the four knocks if he's not here?"

"Just in case. Never forget the knocks, kid."

"Not a kid."

The grin thrown at Shane had him rolling his eyes. "So why am I really here?" he questioned as he deposited the takeaway on the table across the room next to the kitchenette.

"What do you mean?" Jared asked innocently as he walked off to go look the place over.

Shane snorted, shook his head and followed after. "I'm not an idiot. Damien had a specific reason for wanting me to bring Billy food. Might as well tell me."

Jared didn't answer until he was done with casing the place out. Shane went back to the living room to sit at the table. Since one of the portions of food was for him, he dug into his fries.

"Damien wants you to become buddy-buddy with Billy."

"Why?"

"I thought you weren't an idiot."

"Jared."

Said man blew out a breath and dropped into the chair opposite him. "Because, Damien is right. You do have a super power. And he wants you to use it now. On Billy."

"What are you guys talking about?! I don't have a super power!"

"Just be yourself, Shane. That's all you need to do. It might work, might not. It worked on the Yakuza, on me. It might work on Billy. I don't know. He's a complicated piece of work."

The sound of someone unlocking the front door stalled Shane from pointing out that Jared hadn't given him a definite answer. He still didn't know why he was there to get buddy-buddy with Billy.

Billy walked in and looked at the two. He didn't seem surprised at all by their presence. "Hiya."

"Hey," Shane answered, frowning a little. Billy seemed off. His greeting was way too tame. "I brought you some food."

Jared turned away before grinning.

"Didja now? Thanks, kid. Starving. What brings you here?"

He hadn't smiled yet. Not once. Shane was certain this had to do with Damien's attempted murder. "I was hoping you might teach me how to fight… if you have the time."

Jared stared at Shane; he had to remember keep the smile off his face. That was exactly what he was going to say to Billy when asked why he brought Shane there. Clearly Shane had everything under control.

When Billy looked at him, Jared shrugged. "It's a good idea, I guess. You two have the same build. He could definitely do with having some of your moves under his belt."

Finally, Billy's stoic facade broke and the man snickered. "You're a dirty one, aren't cha!"

Shane laughed.

"Not like that!"

"Sure. Might be fun. Let me get changed and check up on Dr. Evil's location. Riku should be bringing him home soon."

He half smiled and walked the short way into the bedroom. By the time he reappeared in his street clothes, Jared was gone.

Billy sat at the table with him without a word and started eating. Shane frowned a little. "Should I eat if you're about to beat me up?"

Billy's eyes shot to his and he laughed. "No worries, kid. We'll not get into any of the heavy-handed fighting this time around."

"Cool." After some hesitation, Shane added, "don't call me kid."

* * *

As Jared approached Damien's room, he heard a, "what the hell are you doing here, fag hag?"

"Glad you're alright too, asshole!"

"But you should be in bed!"

"Ditto, you freaking queer! Get back into bed right now!"

"But, Sheera…"

"Don't use that voice on me!"

"Damien, get back into bed."

Ah, that was Mai. Her tone brooked for no arguments.

"Right now," said Miss D. Apparently Damien was having a party.

Jared walked in to seeing all of them plus Caleb, Tony, and Jake.

Damien was sulking as Miss D helped him back into bed and tucked him in with a fierce frown.

"Did you all just get here?"

"Yes," Tony answered, "and this ass was just walking around… or hobbling around. He's an idiot."

"Stupid brute! Bastard, hey. How'd it go?" he demanded.

"I don't like to admit it when you're right. But you are undoubtedly spot on here. Shane has an amazing superpower."

There was a round of nods. Daisy looked at all of them in surprise. Mai smiled on turned to her. "He makes anyone he speaks to feel special."

"Everyone and everything is special to him," Tony murmured. "Every instance."

"It's hard to find that in today's world," was Caleb's input.

"He's awesome."

"Tony," Jared laughed, shaking his head. "Pathetic. You're also clearly biased."

Tony scratched the back of his neck and edged out of the room. On his way out he shot Jared the bird behind Miss D's back.

Damien looked to Jared. "I wonder if he realizes you are now technically his boss and can fire him on the spot."

Tony popped back in. "Really?"

"Call me Mr. Newton and I might forget about it."

"Yeah, well then I'm fired."

He tried leaving again, only to be stopped again when two strangers blocked his way. A man and a woman. Both in professional clothes. The man was squat and bald and kind of unassuming, while the woman was above average in height, much younger than her male counterpart. She had pretty brown skin, probably Hispanic heritage. Before Tony could do anything, the man flashed a badge at him.

"Detectives are here," Tony announced as he returned to stand next to Sheera and Daisy.

"About bloody time," Jared drawled. "I would have thought, seeing as to whom the victim is, there would be no delay in the investigation."

Now that they knew the other side of Jared, it was always amusing seeing him as the cold condescending corporate Executive.

"Jared."

Said man crossed his arms over his chest, ignored Daisy's warranted but not needed warning. Because he'd done what he set out to do. Determine if these people were anything to worry about. The man was an automatic no. He was immediately nettled by him and it was clear to Jared he was in no real hurry to get the job done. On the contrary. Jared was willing to bet this man couldn't wait to get off and crack open a beer. He was probably annoyed to have been given such a high-profile case.

Now the woman… the young woman on the other hand was another matter. She stared back at him defiantly with sharp brown eyes; she also had a small note book in her hand. She was ready to dive in. Jared pegged her as a rookie. Probably just recently promoted and unlucky enough to have been saddled with a partner who was already mentally retired.

"I'm Detective Warren," the woman announced, "and this is Detective Grahm. We need to ask you a few questions, Mr. Shrod."

"I don't want to. Go away." And Damien was being difficult on principle.

"I think we'll get this out of the way now," Detective Grahm muttered before approaching the bed. "So. Do you have any idea who might have reason to kill you?"

"You're joking, right? How about half the people I know."

"Mr. Shrod," Detective Warren began, "can you recount the time before-"

"Walk us through that day," Grahm interrupted with a nasty look at his partner.

"Do we really need to do this now?"

"The sooner you answer our questions, the faster we can leave, Mr. Shrod."

Damien wrinkled his nose at the formal use of his name. He was Damien, dammit.

"Well then, let me think… ah yes, the morning started out brilliant. I got my gay on upon waking up. Newton here is an animal."

Jared lowered his head before shaking it and pinched the bridge of his nose. Detective Grahm reacted exactly as expected. His disdain was clear even when he tried to hide it. Detective Warren eyed the two before her and Damien swore he saw her mouth twitch up before she put her cop face on again.

"So you two do have a… relationship," Grahm asked.

"It's not exactly a secret, is it?" Damien replied. "Any idiot who can read the paper would know that."

Again the lady detective's mouth twitch uncontrollably.

"Mr. Newton, you stand to gain much of the company should something happen to Shrod."

Damien's eyes narrowed to slits on the offending man. "May I hurt him?"

"No, sweetheart," whispered Daisy.

"My bastard has control of the company anyway when my father retires. So there's no motive there. Accuse him one more time,  _Detective_ …"

Jared spun around, pinned Shrod with surprised eyes, unable to help himself. Shrod shrugged. "We haven't gotten around to having that meeting yet."

Damien turned to Jared, smirked. "I tried to tell you over Christmas that one time, but you were too busy  _distracting_  me."

Caleb coughed to cover up a laugh.

"Distracting you is fun," Jared responded in that snobby British drawl, complete with a superior smirk.

The lady cop definitely looked amused now, especially when she saw the look on her partner's face. "Did you notice anything odd or out of the ordinary about people or places that day or the days before?" she asked. She ignored her partner's nasty glare aimed at her. The others didn't.

"No. Not really… well, except…"

"Yes?"

Damien grinned. "Sheera and Jake. Sheera was going around skipping around like a little girl after Jake-"

"Damien!"

"Look! She's seriously blushing! You love that, Jake, don't you? But that's all, Detective Warren. Nothing else was out of the ordinary."

"We're done for now. Thanks for your time," Detective Grahm muttered before turning and moving to the door.

Detective Warren could not hide the surprise and then annoyance with her partner's attitude. "Actually, I have a few more questions," she said, now approaching the bed herself. "Mr. Shrod, do you think this attempt on your life might also have something to do with Shane Williamson and his attack? It just seems like too much of a coincidence. Both attacks happened within months of each other. And it's known you and Mr. Williamson are close friends. Is there something there we should know about?"

"The only thing I know about that is the fact you still haven't caught the person who nearly KILLED my almost baby brother!"

"Yes, I understand your frustration. We've concluded the Sevens had something to do with that."

"That's only speculation," Jared returned. "We weren't given a definitive answer as to who attacked Shane or why."

"This is true. It's also possible not all Sevens had been killed. Have you heard anything about them? Perhaps there is some reason they would target you-"

"Let's go, Detective," Grahm ordered at the threshold. "We've taken up too much of these good people's time."

"Do let us know if you find anything," Jared said as they both left with Detective Warren throwing one last look at the group in the room. Again, her eyes were sharp and she knew she didn't have all the facts.

"We need to watch out for her," Jared murmured once they were gone and he sank into one of the seats next to the bed. "Haven't seen the last of her. Unlike the two who oversaw Shane's case, this one might actually dig."

"Not if she's constantly under that oaf's thumb, she won't. Poor thing," Daisy responded with a glare. She turned to Mai and Sheera. "Did you see the way her partner treats her. Like she's a joke with a badge."

"I would have shoved my elbow into his nose a thousand times over already," Sheera muttered. "She has amazing control. She wanted to."

"There's a reason why Mai and I were holding onto your arms, darlin'," Jake replied. "It's not because we thought you'd collapse at any moment."

"Detective Grahm comes from an era where women did not wear pants," Shrod put in.

"Not only that, he probably comes from a time when Latin minorities were laughed out of the academy."

"I'm actually hoping she comes back without him," Damien announced.

He looked at Tony when the man dropped into one of the chairs next to his bed. Studied his friend of many years. The good humor from before was gone. His eyes burned now. Anger, fear, defiance.

Jared understood his mentality right now. Tony was amazing during all this and after. Him being the one to keep a cool head, to keep the group stable just after the explosion and the first hours of being in the hospital. Amazing considering what had happened the last time they all had to be there. Caleb wasn't so calm. In fact Caleb desperately needed Mai to remind him to keep calm, to push his anger away. When Caleb finally arrived at the hospital not long after Jared did, the black man looked to be on the war path.

Now Tony's mind was racing every which way. He thought maybe time was running out. This was unacceptable. He didn't want to wait. So he wouldn't. The car bomb, after the incident in the woods during Christmas break, was another eye opener. No one, not one of them knew what was around the corner. What was the point in waiting? If he waited it might be too late. He had to be realistic here. They were all in some serious shit. Every moment had to count.

* * *

They had only finished eating when the door was knocked on four times. Billy picked up his phone to check the camera. Apparently Ryuu was wrangled into dropping off Dr. Evil. Shane laughed at the look on the Yakuza's face when he opened the door upon Billy's request.

"Riku was busy," he muttered, and passed the kitten over to Billy. "But my mother fed Dr. Evil before we left."

"Your mother, or you?" Shane wanted to know. He wasn't surprised when Ryuu pointedly ignored him on that.

" _Why's he here?"_  Ryuu asked Billy.

" _Wants me to teach him how to fight."_

" _Great idea,"_ Ryuu responded with a firm nod as he headed to the kitchenette as if he owned the place and grabbed a beer from the small fridge. "Mind if I stay?"

"Nope."

And all at once the weird tension which had surrounded Billy and then Ryuu as soon as the door was opened seemed to disappear. They flashed each other smiles before Ryuu dropped down to the sofa while Billy turned to Shane and instructed him to move to the center of the living room. Ryuu helped by pressing his heels into the floor and shoving himself back and the sofa with him to give the two some room.

Before focusing on the man standing in front of him, Shane took a moment to watch Ryuu, or more specifically, Dr. Evil who was making figure eights around the man's shoes. Every few seconds the kitten would stop, stand on his hind legs between Ryuu's legs, stretch his cute little paws up on the couch. And the meowing… Ryuu finally rolled his eyes, scooped the cat up and deposited him on the couch. He eyed the cat, daring him to try and climb into his lap. Dr. Evil decided to lay down right where he was dropped. Shane quickly looked away before he was caught staring.

Ryuu eyed the two in the center of the living room, focused on what was happening, studying Shane critically.

Shane looked back at him when he murmured something in Japanese.

Billy nodded. "Yeah. Good strong form. Mentally and physically. This will be a walk in the park for ya, Shane… sorta. You'll get hurt some, but nothing you can't take."

Shane groaned.

Ryuu laughed. "Shi no shiri kikkā. Must know how to fight to uphold the name."

"Don't worry about it. Like I said, not gonna start that right off. But I do want to see."

Shane would have asked what he meant, but Billy was already moving to raise the hem of his shirt. He whistled once seeing the scars.

"Damn, kid." His soft tone conveyed the gravity of his thoughts on the matter. Enough that Shane didn't have time to feel embarrassed about being studied like this.

Ryuu walked over to have a look too, and seeing the scars on both Shane's sides, his eyes widened. He straightened and looked Shane in the eyes. "You should be dead."

"Well I'm alive."

Ryuu nodded and dropped a heavy hand to his shoulder. "Shi no shiri kikkā. I will tell my grandfather about you."

"Don't know if I want the Kumicho of the Toyama family knowing my name."

"Least he's honest," Billy murmured in agreement, nodding that he agreed with Shane.

"Someone must be."

Billy took a step back from Shane and turned to completely face the Yakuza; they watched each other flatly and that weird tension was back again, in the blink of an eye. It was like a pair of alphas sizing each other up. Billy may appear to be nothing more than a nerd, but that was just the casing.

"You getting at something, Yakuza?"

Shaking his head in amusement, Shane vacated his stance to sit back at the table where he reclined back in his seat and watched.

"Cause it seems to me you're the one not being honest."

Ryuu closed the distance between them and Shane held his breath in anticipation. Either he was going to see a fight or (hopefully) a surprise make out session. Damien was going to be angry if it turned out to be the latter. He would want to see that.

"What are you talking about?"

"How about the fact you haven't yet told your sister about your mum and what she really does here in the States." Billy laughed. "A massage parlor? Really lame cover; kind of stereotypical of you, isn't it? Was that her idea or yours?"

Ryuu's eyes widened just slightly. "No one is supposed to know about that."

"Dug up everything about you after Dec brought you to me, didn't I? It's what I do, Toyama. I'm supposed to be looking after these people. Including Mai. Can't do that if I don't know everything."

"Like you did with Shrod?"

Shane shot to his feet the same moment emotion flashed in Billy's eyes. That hit hard. "Okay, I feel like I shouldn't interject here, but WHAT THE FUCK RU-SAN?!"

When Ryuu's glance cut his way for a very short time, Shane saw the contrition in his eyes. But by the time he was looking back at Billy, those eyes were back to being stone cold. Shane wasn't surprised when Ryuu next claimed he had shit to do and quickly left.

"We're gonna pick this up later," Billy muttered. "I'll take you home."

Sensing Billy wasn't really in the mood anymore, Shane agreed. But he wasn't done trying. "Sure. Hey, uh… Tony and I are pushing the housewarming party to next weekend. Will you come? We can start our lessons then."

"Look, I don't know who you think I am but it's certainly not someone who gives a fuck about some stupid house warming party."

"Got it. Sorry I asked." Shane nodded stiffly. He grabbed his backpack and head for the door. "Don't worry about taking me home. I've got Shrod's guy. I can take the bus."

"You're gonna get Tony pissed at you again."

"What do you care?" Shane opened the door and stepped out. "And stop monitoring our phone calls. No one told you that. You could only know that if you've been listening to our calls. No one gave you permission to tap our fucking phones."

"Fuck! Kid, wait!"

"No thanks," he muttered as he shut the door behind him. He was trying to push down the anger. He knew Billy was only reacting this way because of Ryuu, maybe because of all of them. But still, the asshole didn't have to be so mean about it. Then again, he realized he was being unreasonable in his reaction. He should have known better. Billy was a spy. Guess he was just used to Jared. Now he was annoyed with himself for immediately getting mad at the guy.

He didn't even make it to the elevator before Billy caught up. To say Shane was surprised would be an understatement. Billy blocked his way into the elevator. The man did look apologetic.

"Look, I didn't mean that, okay. I didn't."

"Yes you did."

"I didn't mean to be such an arse. The other… what the fuck am I gonna do at a party, huh?"

Shane rolled his eyes. "Gee I don't know. Have a beer and chill, maybe. It's not like I'm asking you to hold hands and sing camp fire songs."

Billy snorted. Then he shook his head. "This wasn't your fault but I took it out on you anyway."

"Hey I get it. You have the hots for Ryuu and you don't know what to do with that…" Shane cocked his head, studied the man who looked startled. "No, that's not it. If it was just that, you wouldn't be bothered so much." Shane's eyes brightened. "He gets you excited! And not the, I want to fuck you so bad, excited. The kind like I get when Tony laughs at a joke I say, or when he just stares at me, or when we fight about science, or when he cuddles me when we're watching a movie at home-"

Billy looked appalled. Probably because Shane used the word cuddle. "Nope. Nope, not talking about this. Nope. And it aint like that! Don't know where you're getting it. What the fuck, kid, you aren't my therapist."

Shane laughed. "Just lighten up, Billy. Both of you need to lighten up."

"He started it."

"Yeah, he did. You guys probably just need to hang out more. Get it out of your system. No, I don't mean that. Just… hang out. Tony said you guys have good chemistry at work. So just try to work with that. If you're at odds all the time, where does that leave the rest of us."

"In danger."

"Correct."

Billy groaned and then nodded. "Fine. I'll come to your fucking housewarming party."

Shane perked up. "Great! Stella's going to be so shocked and happy when the hot guy with the kitten in a satchel shows up." Then he laughed at Billy's expression. "Not like that either. She's into Riku right now."

"Even though she knows he's Yakuza?"

"We're Americans. That sort of thing is exciting to us. Yeah, I know," he said upon Billy's look, "stupid of us."

* * *

Billy stood in a semi-clean back alley as he finished smoking his fag. He remained leaned up against the wall, watching the sky darkening ever so slightly as it was nearing sun down. Once he was finished with his smoke, he rounded on the door he stood next. Glanced left and right and went about picking the lock.

He walked into a back storeroom. Broken machinery almost everywhere. Appliances and devices waiting to be repaired. He traversed down an aisle further in. Ears open, eyes scanning everything. His fingers twitched. There were some parts here he could really use. No one would know…

He shook his head as he came to the end of the aisle where it and several other long shelves to the right and left opened to a handful of work stations. His target sat at one of these stations. The tall man was hunched over his work, completely committed to the job at hand. Currently Caleb held a soldering iron in one hand and the solder in another and was trying to piece back a motherboard. On his face, a pair of magnifying goggles which made his eyes three times the size.

"Oh yeah. Mai must think you're the sexiest bloke on the planet."

Caleb sat straight up and immediately snatched the goggles off his head. "What up, man? Didn't hear you come in?"

"Not supposed to. You busy?"

"I'm at my job. What do you think?" his tone could have been testy.

"Shane call you? Or are you pissed because it would have been my fault about Damien if Sheera and your bird hadn't shown up at that exact moment?"

"No one is blaming you, Billy. You didn't have to come and help us. You're doing us a favor by joining the team. We aint nothing but pleased with your presence. No doubt."

"What the fuck is wrong with you all?" Billy demanded, sincerely baffled by this group of people. "Don't you understand what Dec and I are?"

Caleb nodded. "Sure. And guess what? We don't care. Man… Jared's turned into big brother for us. In a good way." He stood, rounded his work station. "I don't go around professing love to dudes like most of my counterparts, but," he paused and grinned when Billy snorted, "no doubt about it. I'd give my life for him, we all would. And we know he'd do the same. That's how it is."

"He got lucky."

Caleb bared his teeth in a sharp smile. "Want in?"

"Ah…"

"Think about it later. After we obliterate this bitch."

"Sure, mate."

"You're dressed up," Caleb went on, indicated the nice dress slacks, button up tunic, and dark blue dinner jacket. Billy was dressed to go out and have a good time; something none of them had seen before.

"Havta. Where we're going, a must."

"We?"

"That's why I'm here. Shane said some things to me… after I was a complete wanker to him. Kid's right. So I gotta do something and I need a copilot."

"But why me?"

"Why not?"

"You can play it off as nothing, but you came to me for a reason."

"You'll know when we get there. How long will it take ya to jazz yourself up?"

Caleb could have said no, could have said work would keep him. But he didn't. His boss wouldn't mind him taking off early anyway and Billy was asking for a favor. "Once I get home? Ten minutes."

"Sure then. Let's hit the road. I want you packing too when we leave your place." It wasn't a suggestion. Caleb rose a brow, but otherwise didn't say anything and instead nodded.

Just inside an hour, Billy instructed Caleb to head to Kimiko's place and had him park where he usually did when visiting his lady's mama. He got a call from Tony just after parking. They sat in the jeep while he took the call, and Billy produced a small tablet to mess with while he talked with Tony.

" _How did you not pass out from nerves?"_  Tony hissed when the call connected.

"What's up, man? You alright? Sound weird."

Tony cleared his throat.  _"I'm doing it now."_

It took a moment and then Caleb chuckled. "Knew you wouldn't be able to wait till his birthday."

" _I just- with Damien and at the resort…It's all too close, Caleb and I don't feel like I'm rushing this. I need Shane to know..."_

"No, you're right, Tony. As fucked up as it is, you don't know if you have the time to wait. This whole shit with Dame's mom… never know what's going to happen tomorrow, right? And stop sounding so nervous, man. Shane will say yes." Caleb noticed when Billy pulled his attention away from the tablet, realized what was going on. The smile flashing across Billy's face said it all about what kind of guy this really was even when he tried so hard to hide it. That smile was a genuinely pleased one.

" _How do you know that?"_

"Come on. I know the same way you do. Whenever he talks about the future, you're always in the picture too. He always drops your name. So stop being a pussy, get off the phone, and go give Shane his Christmas present already."

Caleb heard Tony release a breath.  _"Yeah. Thanks, man. Um…you sure you and Mai are okay with this, right now?"_

He had to smile. "Yeah, I promise we're fine with it."

" _Great. Okay. And don't tell anyone yet. If he says yes, we'll announce it at the party."_

"Sure. Good luck, Tony."

_"Why do I need luck? You said-"_

Caleb laughed and hung up on him. "Damn. Man's trippin."

"Kind of an important moment," Billy answered as he climbed from the jeep.

"Can I say something?" Caleb started when they started walking down the sidewalk and passed Kimiko's parlor at Billy's direction. He wondered where they were headed, but he'd wait and see.

"Sure."

Caleb gestured to the cigarette in the other man's hand. "You smoke when you're nervous."

Billy glanced at him, shook his head, and kept on walking.

"Just wondering what could make someone like you nervous. Plan on us using these guns tonight?"

"That wouldn't have me nervous," his companion responded; the accent back to being American. "And I wouldn't lead you into something like that without telling you first."

Caleb took it at that, knowing he wasn't going to get a straight answer.

"Can I ask something?" Caleb nodded. "A guy like you, your upbringing- and I'm not talking about family- but your environment-"

"You want to know how I came to be best friends with two, and now four, gay guys, huh? And why it seems to mean nothing to me." Billy nodded, looked kind of embarrassed too. "You want the long or short story?"

"We have a couple blocks to walk."

Caleb nodded. Took a moment to think about his answer. "See that's the thing. My family. My pops… he lived the civil rights movement. Even met Martin Luther King once. He taught us it was not okay to stand for only one person, one group of people, and then turn around and discriminate against anyone else for their differences.

"Before he died, when Damien and I were still about fighting each other, I told him about Damien, complained once about his flamboyancy. He thought I had a problem with Damien being gay- I didn't, at the time it was just weird, you know. First gay person I even came across- and Pop's sat me down and called me a hypocrite." Caleb paused, smiling at the memory. "That's how we was raised. With open minds and hearts. After he died I didn't want to fight Damien anymore. Cause I could see the guy was having his own problems. Serious problems. It's crazy how quickly we bonded. Dude is insane in a good way.

"Damien introduced me to Tony, Sheera, and Mai. I liked being a part of their small group. Before them, I was a loner in school most of the time, except for basketball… Anyways, I didn't know Tony was gay until months after we started hanging out. That's when I realized I had stereotypes that were stupid. I guess not long after that's when I stopped thinking about them as being gay. They were just my friends.

"I never got any shit from the other guys at school because they were all afraid of Tony and Damien. That's why they were never bullied about being gay. No one wanted to mess with them. When you picked a fight with Damien, he made it clear you were messing with only him. You weren't messing with his father, you weren't messing with a huge power house, you were fucking messing with him and he didn't ever need any fucking help. And Tony," he laughed, shook his head. "Tony was just wild in love with fighting. I did get shit from people on the streets, but they weren't my friends so I didn't give a damn. Mai and I weren't dating at the time, but she was still there whispering wise words into my ear when maybe I was feeling conflicted a time or two. Peer pressure is a helluva thing, you know?"

"Yeah, I know."

"When Shane came around and we found out he was gay, I wasn't upset. I didn't think, 'shit, still the only straight guy around here.' I was actually pleased to hear it because Tony was so excited. I don't think I ever saw him that excited about finding out a guy was gay. And then he was on that."

Caleb stopped talking when he realized they walked the two blocks and it became clear where they were going now. He stopped dead when seeing some people loitering around a shop front and a set of stairs leading down below floor level. Most of these people were Asian descent. The curb was lined with bikes and expensive European cars. There were some bars lining the block but the music coming from the direction of the stairs was loudest. He'd never been here before but of course he'd heard about it.

"I know you're not bringing me to fucking Toyama?!" he hissed.

"This is his ground while he's in the city. Keep that in mind when we're down there."

By now, all that lingered outside were watching the two. Some curiously, most suspiciously. The club down the stairs didn't allow just anyone entrance and anyone stupid enough to try without an invitation would end up getting their asses kicked, or worse.

"Here." Billy thrust something into Caleb's hand. "Liquid courage."

Caleb studied the flask in his hand and then looked back at Billy.

"It's not a stereotype," Billy announced. "It's true."

Caleb laughed before drinking down a good portion of it. "Like you said, this is his turf. If he makes me disappear it'll be your fault."

"Take a page out of the kid's book. Chill."

The black man turned to him, eyes widening. "Holy shit! He got you too!"

Billy pulled out his mobile. "Tony's right. It's the eyes." The moment he put the phone to his ear, several of the men loitering around straightened and then moved closer. Most of them purposely displaying the pieces they wore under their jackets. " _Heya. We're out front,_ " he said to the person on the other end of the phone. " _Come get us before your people start shooting…_   _Yeah it's me. Why do you ask stupid questions, Riku? How do you think I know where you are?_ "

"Are these all Toyama guys?" Caleb asked, eyeing he crowd warily.

"Nah. Many of them are, but some are from other families. Though they all have ties with Toyama in some fashion. Then some of these are people who hope to be taken in by the Toyama family. And then I'm sure there are some here who are actually Triad- invited- and Triad spies."

"They're walking towards us. That bad?"

"For sure."

A sharp whistle had everyone pausing and turning towards the steps. Billy nodded in relief and pulled out his pack of smokes when Takumi appeared at the top of the steps. As usual, the man said nothing, but he did jerk his chin in the direction away from Billy and Caleb; the crowd relaxed and went about their business. The suspicion was gone and now it was most definitely curiosity.

Billy started forward again and Caleb followed. Suddenly Billy stopped and faced him. "Here's some advice. You are marrying Toyama Mai and she's no low-level gangster."

"She doesn't even act like a gangster… unless I've pissed her off, then she will go off."

Billy laughed at that. "You need to start acting like it, yeah? Certain things are going to be expected from you. You love this bird? Then get used to the idea of being involved with the Yakuza in some way. Her grandfather is going to demand it the moment you put that ring on her finger."

"Billy, I worked hard to stay out that shit growing up."

"I'm a digger, remember?. I know about everything you and your friends have done and what you have plans to do… Sides, this is the Yakuza. It's different here. You'll love it. Don't forget to call me James too."

"Got it."

Billy turned away just as Takumi reached them. Billy and Caleb bowed to him and he returned in kind. He shot a smirk at Billy when the man held out his pack of smokes and took one for himself.

"How's it going?"

Takumi nodded.

"You ever talk?"

The man shook his head and then turned to lead them into the club.

* * *

Ryuu sat in a large booth, dead center behind the table. He was surrounded by his men, and two females on each side of him. He had his arms spread out across the back of the lounge, but he wasn't touching the women. Ignoring all the chatter around him, his eyes constantly roamed around the place.

" _Ryuu-san,"_  whined the woman to his left and she snuggled closer to his side. He let her be. Easily able to ignore her.  _"What's the matter? You're very quiet tonight."_

" _You said you wanted to have some fun tonight, Ryuu-san,"_ the woman on his right purred while turning in so that her front was pressed against his side.

He did, but even when he said it, he wasn't talking about these birds, or any of the birds around him. Yeah, they were beautiful and very willing. But they were all a dime a dozen and not the type of fun he wanted. What he wanted was to do something to get his blood pumping and he was certain fucking was not what he needed.

He didn't answer and instead shot a look at Kai, who sat in a chair opposite. Kai had a woman on his lap and unlike himself, was very amiable to giving her attention and receiving it back. However, at Ryuu's hard look, Kai pushed the woman off his lap, snapped a finger, and waved a hand. There were five women loitering around the table. As soon as he waved a hand, all of them quickly moved and vacated the booth; they flounced off to go attach to someone else without a word or wrong glance at the man taking center stage of the table.

" _Ru-san?"_

Ryuu grabbed at his glass and ignored Kai's inquiry for the time being. To his right at the far back, he studied the people descending further underground to the game parlor. A big crowd tonight. He wondered if they had such large crowds every night coming in to gamble. He'd have to question the man put in charge of this establishment.

Moving the arm still over the back of the bench back, he checked his watch and then immediately sat straight up.  _"Call those fuckers now, Kai. I will not be kept waiting."_

Kai immediately did so and then handed the phone over when it connected.  _"Where the fuck are you? Meeting was supposed to start fifteen minutes ago."_ A brief pause later and Kai cleared his throat when Ryuu's eyes went feral, face contorting in rage.  _"This is unacceptable."_  His soft tone was worse than if he had been screaming.  _"Cancel on me one more time and it will be THE LAST THING YOU EVER FUCKING DO! DO YOU HEAR ME, MOTHER FUCKER?!"_

Kai thought it would be a miracle if the people down the block didn't hear him. As it was, everyone in the club heard him, including the two men who just followed Takumi inside; all paused to watch Ryuu warily. It was never a good thing when that man was angered to the point of bellowing.

" _Tomorrow at noon, same place, or I will come looking for you."_  Ryuu disconnected and tossed the cell back to his man. A heart beat later, the patrons went back to having a good time.

It was then Ryuu finally saw Takumi winding through the crowds and behind him Billy and Caleb.

" _The hell?"_  he breathed. It wasn't jeans and a t-shirt, nor his work clothes, not that any of that was bad, but this… someone crossed in front of his line of sight, blocking his view of Billy and he very nearly pulled out his piece to shoot the fucker. A quick glance had him settling for glaring at Riku, who was the offender. Riku slid into the booth and smirked at Ryuu knowingly.

Billy broke off from Caleb and made a bee line for the bar. Surprisingly, Reed headed straight for his table. Ryuu narrowed his eyes, watching the approach. Reed had some balls, despite what he said on more than one occasion, and he also had an air of confidence about him which was a must in this place. He looked like he belonged nowhere else. The guy was even packing under his suede green jacket and had made sure his weapon was visible when he walked.

"Can I sit or will that get me shot?"

"Sit."

Caleb's surprise was evident, but then he bowed respectfully before going to take a seat.

"Not there," Ryuu said of the open space beside him. "Sit next to Riku. Kai, more drinks and bring me the Irish."

Kai stood, bowed, and then went to go follow the order. Takumi stood just to the side like a silent statue.

"What brings you here?" Ryuu asked him.

"James' idea. Scooped me up from work. Said I need to learn your ways and your people." When Ryuu raised a brow, Caleb shrugged. "I'm pretty sure he came to make peace with you too."

"Peace?"

"Ya'll keep fighting over nothing. We can't afford internal squabbles right now, Toyama. He said Shane pointed this out."

Kai returned with Billy then and Ryuu let the matter drop. Kai deposited two drinks on the table before sliding in next to Caleb, while the hostess who had been following them unloaded her tray and set four more drinks before disappearing back into the crowds.

"Where's Dr. Evil?" Ryuu questioned as Billy slid in to sit next to him. As soon as he sat, Takumi slid in next to him.

"Jared's princess is watching him. Couldn't find the little bloke anything to wear so he couldn't come."

Ryuu laughed and the tension broke. Caleb eyed Billy. He sounded serious.

"So, before we get to the fun," Billy said and slid just a little closer to Ryuu. "You've got some people here who need to go."

"Point them out."

Billy didn't even look around as he spoke. "The guy near the door with the red jacket and the fake blonde on his arm. Triad spy. There's also a guy at the bar. White and gold shirt. He's missing a couple of fingers on his left hand. Last but not least…" Billy pulled his gun, turned just slightly and aimed it into the shadows behind their booth.  _"Come out, bitch. Towards me. Move another inch towards him and I'll blow your fucking brains out."_

Takumi was out of his seat in a second, so was Kai, and they both dove into the shadows. One enraged scream later, they came back dragging a woman, a hostess, into view.

Ryuu focused on Billy. "Some Triad are welcome here."

"Sure. But some of them aren't. Like I said, spies. And I don't know what this bird's intentions were, but she was standing just a little too close to your back for my liking. Check her too. She had something in her hand. Not a serving tray."

Takumi set to patting her down and he wasn't shy about the places he checked either. The woman just stood there and took it. She had no choice. She was going to lose some sort of body part before the night was over with anyway.

Ryuu grasped his glass and counted to ten.  _"Riku, get the men and clean this place up. Send them all out and let them know exactly why Triad are no longer welcome here."_

"Where the hell is your muscle, Yakuza?" Billy demanded as Caleb moved to allow Riku out. "You know you and Riku can't be over here without it."

" _This is my fucking place. I shouldn't need it._ "

"Fecking eejit. And this is your mama's place, boyo," he whispered as Takumi handed him something.

"No one knows that yet," was Ryuu's reply as he took the item held out to him. A small listening device. His attention turned on the woman. Now she looked scared.  _"Take her downstairs."_

Business taken care of, Billy grabbed one of the untouched drinks and leaned back. Propping his left arm up, he angled towards the center of the booth. Towards Ryuu. The man was staring at him. Probably because he allowed their legs to brush. Ah… there it was. The barely there flush. He wasn't going to move a respectable distance away right now. No. Ryuu smelled bloody brilliant and he was also probably the hottest person in the place. Shane told him to chill. That's what he was doing. Maybe he could play with Ryuu. Scratch that itch without having to actually touch the man.

"How did you know? About the spies."

"Subtle differences between them and the people invited here." Tapping his half full glass to his chest, Billy smirked. "Professional." Gesturing into the crowd. "Amateurs. Mafia don't make great spies, Ryuu. No control. Technique is sloppy."

"Hn."

"Thought about what I told you? Up the mountain?" he cut a glance at Caleb to let Ryuu know what he was talking about.

"Maybe I have."

"And?"

"If what you said is true, maybe I have not been fair in this case."

"Blessed be."

In short time the club was cleared of all Triad. They sat and drank and talked, though Caleb for his part was happy to sit there silently, watch Ryuu and Billy work out whatever issues they were having- they seemed okay now- and study the place, the people. Now that he was here, having a few drinks and getting a groove on sounded like a bad ass idea.

As always, Mai had awesome timing. Instantly he had his phone out and the call connected. "Hey, my sweet cherry blossom!" he ignored Billy and Takumi's amused snorts. Did not look in Toyama's direction. "Think you can come save me from this awkwardness James' thrust me into? Baby, he's got me up here at your brother's joint. The one near your mom's place…. I don't know. Guess he just wanted to hang with Ryuu-san. And some stuff about me needing to know the Yakuza… Yeah. The music's alright, but the mixes could be better and I don't want to get lit without you. Hurry up. I'm bout to go kick the DJ off the stage…" Caleb hung up the phone, chanced a peek, and was relieved to find Ryuu looked more amused than anything.

"Think you can do better?"

"Uh, yeah, man. You mind?"

"Be my guest."

"Thanks, Toyama."

Ryuu watched him walk off towards the stage. His hand was in the air for only two seconds before a hostess stood in front of them, waiting for an order.  _"Tall black man about to take over the music. Make sure his drink is always full. My sister's fiancé. Spread the word. He will be treated as such."_

The hostess returned respectfully and went about her business.

"Ah, look at that. You can be nice."

Riku stalled anything Ryuu might have replied with. The young clan member slid back in, looking at Billy.  _"Didn't you bring_  Shi no shiri kikkā _? I wanted to introduce him to some people."_

"No not tonight. He's busy with Tony."

" _Ru-san, I told him we'd go to his first track meet. You fine with that?"_

"Yes. I want to see him run."

" _He's fucking fast!"_  the younger man exclaimed excitedly.  _"We could definitely do with someone like him on the streets."_

Billy grinned. "Almost sounds like you've got a crush."

Riku narrowed his eyes. "You are one to talk."

If he moved away now, it would be obvious. Instead he shifted his leg away and dropped both elbows to the table, eyes turning back to the club and pretended to be interested in anything else.

" _Riku, go away and find some bird to fuck,"_  his cousin demanded.

" _Naw. Waiting till tomorrow,"_  and obviously he was unaware he'd just pissed off his cousin.

Billy focused on Riku. "Be careful what you do with Stella, pretty boy. Most of you don't give a shit about women, but she's Shane's friend and any bull shit will not be tolerated. I might need to put my foot down here. She's smart and sweet; very much like Shane and personally, I think, way out of your league. Your notions about women are archaic and this is the type of girl who needs none of that bullshit."

"I have respect for women."

Billy snorted and shook his head.

"You feel very strongly about this," Ryuu responded quietly, studying Billy's profile.

He shrugged and dug into his pocket for the pack of smokes. He lit it and took a drag before responding. "About the only thing I don't like concerning your organization."

"The Toyama-gumi and most connected clans have been changing in that regard," Ryuu said before grabbing at Billy's wrist and drawing the hand with the cigarette towards him. "Women are not forced to do anything here. They are here by their own choices. We make more money this way. You should have a conversation with my mother."

Billy tried to pretend he didn't go completely rigid. He had to force himself to relax and all the while wondering, 'what the fuck?!' He stared at the Yakuza and as Ryuu used his free hand to pluck the cigarette from his fingers and then wrap his lips around the butt of that cigarette- watching him back the entire time- Billy was startled to realize this bloke had no problems touching blokes back. Maybe Ryuu had an itch too. Kind of pleasing discovery, but it could also be a huge problem.

Riku sat back and pretended not to see what was happening. He was relieved to know Ryuu finally figured it out; that he was sweet on the Irish. Though he was a little surprised his cousin would pull this move out in the open of the club surrounded by their brothers and sisters. Most of which would have problems with the Toyama prodigal son chasing after dudes instead of chicks.

Ryuu didn't let go of his wrist until he'd finished his drag and returned the cigarette to its previous position.

"Could've just asked for one."

"I could have, yes."

The music suddenly cut off. All eyes turned to the stage, many people expressed displeasure. Billy let go of the previous moment and laughed when he saw Caleb standing there with a record in one hand and his gun in the other pointed in the face of a very pissed off DJ, who looked to be stalled from going after his own piece. Billy was relieved to know he hadn't made a mistake by forcing Caleb here. Didn't take the bloke long to get comfortable in this place.

"Wanna back up a step? I gotta teach you some things. Baby! Just in time!"

Mai had just made her entrance. Upon hearing his declaration over the speakers, she looked towards the stage. She did not look surprised to see him up there. Smiling widely, Mai blew him a kiss and ventured further in until she arrived at Ryuu's 'throne'.

"Ani? Are you being nice?"

"You need to take your man shopping."

"Huh?"

"He's okay for tonight, but he needs better clothes if this is going to be a regular occurrence." He pointed to Billy. "Even this one knows how to dress when coming to our places."

It was clear Ryuu had just given his sister the world if her wide watery eyes was anything to go on.

Billy nodded. "He needs to look like a sparkly gangster."

Mai giggled at the flat look that earned him from Ryuu.

"What? It's true. You guys have a flamboyant sense of fashion-not that I think there's anything wrong with that." He brushed fingers against Ryuu's open collar, enough to show off the tattoos… and maybe his knuckles brushed Ryuu's chest as he pulled away. "We gonna fight anytime soon?"

"Irish, I am looking forward to laying you flat on your ass."

"Sweet talker. And keep dreaming, Yakuza. Never going to happen."

"Baby, get up here! Come show these people how to chug beer like a BOSS!"

Mai flounced off. Billy watched her go. "Dec says your sis wants back in. But she's afraid of your mother's reaction, add to the fact-"

Ryuu tensed when Billy went to grab something from his inside pocket. Assuming it was a knife, Ryuu thought Billy saw trouble coming again. The expression on his companion's face had also changed; he no longer looked like someone who might appreciate Ryuu grabbing him by the hair and dragging him to the nearest private room downstairs. No, now Billy looked as he did that time he went into the room without the four knocks. Cold and ready to kill.

"More trouble?"

Billy produced a 7" tablet. "Motion sensors are going off at one of the locations." Ryuu immediately scooted over to have a look at the screen and both bowed heads over the device. Billy swiped across and video feed appeared. "Shane and Tony." He swiped through the screens, each showing a part of the new house and the surrounding property until they got to the entryway. "FOR FUCK'S SAKE!"

Ryuu relaxed, threw his head back and laughed. The two were just in the foyer with the door wide open; hadn't even gotten to disarming the damn security system yet. Didn't look like they planned to either. Both their shirts were gone and Shane's pants were halfway down his legs.

"Close the door. Close the door. Close the fucking door!" Billy slapped his hands over the screen to block the view. "Holy shit, their porn must be really good. So checking it out tomorrow."

Unsurprisingly the house alarm went off moments later and the two sprang apart. Shane tumbled his way to the door, shutting and locking it, while Tony messed with the system. As soon as they were done, they fused back together. "And look, they don't even reset the alarm…Hmm," He put his thumb and index finger to the screen, on Shane's left hand, and pulled apart, zooming in. "Ah. He said yes." There on Shane's finger was an engagement ring. And then he shook his head, watching the two stumbling their way to the bedroom-without resetting the alarm. Fortunately for them, Billy could remotely set it for them with the tablet. "They're getting a word or two as well tomorrow," he muttered as he put the tablet away.

"Set Shrod's place up?"

"Yeah. The day he was released…"

"Have not been able to stop by yet."

"He's doing fine, Ryuu." The man then shook his head, laughed. "He's only bothered about his car. Bothered is a tame word. The car and Jared's business trip. Damien called me several times to make sure Jared's plane was thoroughly scrubbed, even then I don't my assurances calmed him down. I… went to sit with him," he confessed. "He's very unusual. I guess in a good way. He's fun."

"We need to actively go after this woman. Stop waiting for her to show up."

"Yeah, you're right. We are. There are just a few more things needing to be dealt with before that. Someone is feeding personal information about the Shrods to Tarrington. We need to find this person or persons and neutralize them before doing anything else. I'll be starting that on Monday. Orientation is over and the gloves are coming off."

"We. We will be starting that on Monday."

"I've got a couple leads already."

"Let us get back to my sister wanting back in. This is very important."

Billy laughed. "Knew that was coming back up."

* * *

" _You're missing a great party!"_

"Oh well thanks, Caleb. For calling to let me know I'm missing a great party," Damien spat. "I'm only stuck here with fucking crutches and an arm brace, working my ass off trying to close these deals  _and_  finish god knows how many reports before the bastard comes back."

" _Mai's chugging a beer for you right now."_ Caleb laughed when he heard Damien grinding his teeth.  _"Man, just wanted to let you know. Toyama's place is nice! You definitely need to come kick it with me next time. And guess what? The dude's not even being a dick!"_

Damien sighed and threw down his pen, relaxed back in his chair. He looked to his left to where a leather chair was pressed up against the window. A nest of blankets sat on the cushion. He could just make out Dr. Evil's ears peeking out. Kitten was still sleeping. "What are you even doing there?"

" _James grabbed me up. Told me I had to come. Didn't know we were coming to Toyama until we walked up. By the way, they're looking real cozy right now."_

Damien perked up gleefully. "Really? Give me more!"

Caleb laughed.  _"Yeah. Guess I can tell because I'm used to it; after all these years, you and Tony flirting with dudes… Don't know if anyone else can see what I can."_

"It would be careless of Ryuu, not like him. Talk about an image to maintain. He can't lose an ounce of control, of power, or he's done for."

" _He also let me take control of the music."_

"No wonder you're suddenly singing his praises."

" _It took a few minutes, but these people can get down. I thought they were all tight asses when it came to partying, dancing. You should see this, Dame!"_

"When you get punched in the face the next we meet, do me a favor and don't act surprised. Also drop to a knee so I don't have to reach."

Caleb laughed again.  _"There's also some talk around. About a_ Shi no shiri kikkā _. An American young blood made of fire. Fire kills, fire heals… Shit like that. It's bizarre."_

"You know this guy. Is it wrong?"

" _No, that's what's bizarre, Damien. The way these people talk about it. You know, they're steeped in tradition, superstitious, belief in the supernatural. I don't like to bring up God, but…"_

"He came into our lives for a reason."

" _Yeah! He's kind of like the glue. Jared's the casing. I think maybe we would have started to drift apart in a few years."_

"You think I'd let that happen?"

" _I think your mom would have come back with or without Shane, and either way, I think you would have drawn back from us, used work as an excuse and who knows what kind of mentality you would have after that. Damien, take this into consideration. Shane opened you up, man. You think you would have given Jared a chance if Shane hadn't already weakened your wall? You think we would survive your mom without Jared? Don't get me wrong. We're all smart, tough, but she's got fucking mercenaries on our ass. We never would have seen her coming. And let's stop for a moment and think about your old man."_

"I've never seen him so… chipper. He really is into Miss. D."

" _Yeah. He's fond of Shane too. And Tony? What have you noticed about Tony these last few months?"_

Damien smiled and shook his head; finally figuring out what this call was about. Why Caleb decided to call him even when the guy was in the middle of what sounded like an awesome time as told by the voices and music in the background. "He's more driven. Seems like his purpose has renewed. Guy's always buzzing with energy now. He's… happy."

" _And you?"_

"I'm happy, Caleb."

" _Damn straight."_

"Thanks, dude."

" _Hey, I know you're missing Jared, even if it's only been a few days. I know you're worried about him, about all of us. We are so lucky, Damien. We have each other. And I-I'm just so fucking glad you weren't in that goddamned car, Dame."_

Damien straightened at hearing the raw emotion in his friend's voice. "Caleb! Don't cry in front of the Yakuza! Your rep will hit the floor!"

" _I'm not fucking crying!"_

"Why are you always emotional over the phone? You never do it face to face."

" _Do I look like you?"_

Damien snickered. "You sure you don't want to change your major? You'd be an awesome therapist."

" _I'm sure, dude. I don't like people enough to want to sit there listening to strangers' problems."_

The current faux brunet grinned from ear to ear. "But you love me."

" _I need to get off now. DJ's still being taught."_

"I love you too, Caleb."

" _Shut up, man!"_

Damien's smile never slipped as he put his phone away. In fact, he still had a smile on his face when Jared walked into his office hours later and found his lover slumped over his reports, dead asleep.

Jared purposely made a soft noise as he walked in, not surprised when Damien shot straight up in his chair, looking around wildly before eyes settled on him. There was that smile. Perfect.

"You didn't finish the reports," he said disapprovingly as he came to stop beside the desk.

Predictably Damien's eyes lit in temper. "You know what, asshole, there were over twenty-"

A hand slipped into his hair, forced his head back. Noses slid together and lips hovered over his. "You should be in bed. You can finish tomorrow before we head to the domesticates."

"Shane told me that's not a word."

"It is a word. You just don't use it correctly." Jared pulled back and reached for the crutches against the wall. "Up you get."

"I don't want these crutches anymore, Jared. I don't need them."

Jared pulled back from the crutches, helped Damien to his feet, and then gestured to the door. "Let me see."

"You just want to stare at my ass."

"Yes."

Damien shook his head, but he did make his way to the door. Jared noticed his lover's walk was very stiff and he had to favor his good leg. His walk was also uncomfortable but it wasn't painful.

"Very well. But you are going to keep that arm brace on."

"Sure."

They were nearing their bedroom when Damien told Jared about the call from Caleb. Damien laughed. "Billy dragged Caleb to a Yakuza hot spot where Ryuu was. Sounded like he was having a good time. Told me I had to go up there next time."

"Not without me," was the firm reply. "You are prime bait for Yakuza who are not under Toyama control there. This is how the Yakuza gained control, how they keep control. Blackmailing and kidnapping high political and corporate figures. Extortion also."

"Surely Ryuu wouldn't let that happen."

"Not if he knows about it. But he can't know everything all the time. Not to mention Ryuu being here is a huge opportunity for feuding clans. At home, he is protected at all costs. Him and the others in line to take over. But here, he'll have people wanting to seize a rare opportunity."

Damien didn't like the sound of that. "You're talking assassination. Ryuu and Riku… Christ. They're only here because we asked them to come."

They were just outside their bedroom. Jared turned his lover, slipped both hands into Damien's hair. "They are here because they want to help. Just like Billy. And they know the risks, princess. Aside from that, you think Billy and I aren't already on that as well. The moment I told Mai to make that call, I started doing my homework."

"Jared, send them home," Damien whispered.

"They won't go. For Riku, this is a field trip, a learning experience. Why do you think Ryuu asked me to set him up at Allmsted? Riku is number one behind Ryuu to take over. And Ryuu… try and tell him what to do."

"Jared," Damien tried again, firmly. "Make them leave."

Jared shook his head in amazement. "I think you're starting to care too much about people, Damien. You weren't like this before I started to actively try and get close to you."

"It's your fault."

"Don't blame it all on me. How about the kid with the superpowers?"

"Tabitha says I only let Shane in because I was ready. All the therapy was paying off."

"After all that time, it only now started to show? Sounds like bollucks."

Damien abruptly laughed. "That's exactly what Shane said. He doesn't care for Tabitha very much."

"He's never even met her."

"I know. Strange, right?"

"But you talk about your sessions with him all the time."

"Yeah. I love talking to him." His amusement drifted away and he looked thoughtful. "In fact, I always feel better after talking to him, much better than I ever have with Tabitha."

"I think you should stop going to her for a while."

"But she's upped my sessions to three times a week after what happened. She says it's instrumental after going through something like that."

"Damien, do you feel you need more therapy?"

He shrugged. "Not really, I guess… I don't know."

"I know you and it seems like you have enough support already. Cancel. I stopped liking her after you told me she wanted you to take anti hallucinogenic medication."

"You were really mad."

"You called her to tell her what was happening and her first reaction is to prescribe you medication?! Over the phone!"

Okay, clearly Jared was ready to get angry again. He was seriously bothered by the idea. Damien ran his hands up and down Jared's arms, trying to keep from smiling in the face of Jared's scowl. "So how was your trip?" if anything, Jared grew more incensed. Damien winced. "That bad?"

"I do not want to talk about it tonight… Boleman is fucking fired."

Damien's good arm shot into the air. "Yes!"

"The entire project will need to be suspended until further notice."

"Not good."

"No."

"Sorry, Jared. I know that's one of your babies."

"It's not forever and it was my mistake in appointing Boleman as director in the first place."

"He's more than qualified. Surprising he didn't live up to expectations."

"I don't think this project is something he really believed in. There's no love."

Damien couldn't help it. He pressed against Jared, snuggled up for a one-armed hug. "Your passion for the job is so hot."

Jared smirked. "Come give me another kiss, princess."

Damien was going to just that when he pulled back suddenly, looking stricken. "I'm a terrible babysitter, Jared! I forgot Dr. Evil!"

"What?"

"Billy asked me to babysit tonight. I need to go get him. I left him asleep in the office!"

The nest of blankets he saw on the chair made sense now. "You're letting him sleep with us, aren't you?"

"Well I'm hoping Billy and Ryuu get it on tonight, so of course! He's a baby. He'll probably need to be fed too."

Damien was about to speed walk back to his office. From day one it was clear the Shrod heir was intent on ignoring his injuries. And since Jared had not seen a kitten in the office and the door had been wide open when he walked in, he would need to search the mansion for this tiny little kitten that could hide anywhere. And use the bathroom anywhere… Jared internally groaned.

"Go get ready for bed. I'll find him. Bring you his bottle too."

And yes, the kiss he received for that was well worth it.

* * *

"I'll get it," Shane called out after someone knocked on the door. He pulled away from the current box he was taping up. One of the last to be packed up. All their stuff had already been packed away. They were ready to go. In fact, they were ready to go yesterday. They'd already moved in the mattress and spent the night in their new home.

As he grabbed for the doorknob, Shane's eyes dropped down to his left hand. To the engagement ring. Again, he felt he might do something unmanly, like swoon. He managed to control himself and wrench the door open, though he didn't quite manage to contain himself when he saw who stood on the other side of the door. He tackle-hugged Damien and then moved over to Jared.

"You made it, Jared!"

"Someone's excited more than usual," Damien said with a laugh, slinging an arm around Shane's shoulders when he was done with Jared.

"I'm just happy to see you walking around okay."

Jared was quick and of course he saw it immediately. "Tony, you impatient sap! What happened to his birthday?"

"He's a dream," Shane murmured happily.

"Right back at you, brat."

They drew together like magnets, only to have Jared push them apart with a firm, albeit fond, glare.

"He asked me to marry him!" Shane exclaimed to Damien.

"And you said yes! Wonderful," Damien then tackled hugged Shane. "So happy for you two."

"Hold on, you sound like you knew he would…"

"Well duh, cutie. Caleb figured Tony would before he even told us he planned to. But he did say he was waiting for your birthday."

"Seemed stupid to wait. Now or later, same results. Now is better."

"Mind keeping it on the downlow until later," Shane asked them. "We're announcing it at the house."

Damien then went over to Tony, who was speaking quietly to Jared. The door was still open so Shane went to shut it. He stopped when he noticed a cute red coupe shoot into the parking lot.

Shane stepped onto the balcony, watched Stella park. At the same time, a large black suburban pulled into the parking spot two places down from her. All the windows were blacked out and it had no license plates. Shane tensed. This was not Shrod Sec and after everything that was happening he was instantly suspicious.

Stella climbed from her car and popped her trunk. Clearly ready to fill it up. She was dressed in black capri yoga pants, a runner's tank, and trainers. Her hair was pulled back in a short pony-tail. Again, it was clear she really was here to help move. She saw him up on the balcony outside the door, smiled brightly at him and waved.

The passenger doors of the suburban opened and Shane relaxed when Billy and Riku climbed out. Billy riding shot gun and of course the guy was carrying Dr. Evil in a satchel. Ru-san appeared a moment later from the other side, apparently having been the driver. The three saw Stella before she saw them and fell in step behind her. They were keeping quiet on purpose. Clearly as Billy was grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey, Shane! You ready for today?"

"One hundred percent ready!"

"I brought you a present." She pulled a bottle of wine out of her bag, held it over her head to show him. "Don't tell your mom!"

"Awesome!"

"You're going to share that, right?" asked Billy.

Stella spun around and then took a hefty step back from them. She might have recognized Riku and Billy at first, but it was probably Ryuu who had her immediately nervous.

"After the amount of time you made me try on clothes, I think I deserve more of that than Shane."

Ryuu turned to his cousin.  _"She is hot,"_ he agreed.

Riku nodded and smirked.

"Mr. Reynolds?"

"I told you last time to call me James."

"Uh… yeah. Sure. What are you doing here?" her eyes drifted to Ryuu and she backed up another step, almost tripping over the curb as she did so.

Riku rolled his eyes and jerked his elbow into his cousin's side. Ryuu tried to look somewhat less intimidating.

"Hi, Riku."

Riku bowed to her before gesturing to Ryuu. "This is my cousin Toyama Ryuu."

"Hi. I'm Stella. Nice to meet you."

Ryuu bowed and Billy watched her eyes drop down and he thought she did a bang up job of pretending not to see Ryuu's weapon in its holster. Though she did blow out a breath.

"We've been persuaded to become movers today," he said in answer to her first question.

"You know Shane," she realized. "How do you know him?"

"Cool story, slave driver. We'll save it for later." Billy indicated the stairs she stood in front of. "After you."

Stella shook her head, snorted. "No thanks. After you three tall dark drinks of yumminess—Shane! What the hell?! Give a girl a warning!"

Shane chuckled and disappeared back into the apartment.

" _Smart too,"_ Ryuu announced as he and Riku ascended the steps. Billy fell into step with Stella, handing over Dr. Evil as they went.

"Awe," Stella lifted the kitten to nuzzle against her cheek.

"Best ice breaking tool. Dr. Evil's his name, taking your heart is his game."

Stella giggled.

Ryuu turned and sneered at him. "Nerd."

"Yep. You should see my  _Doctor Who_  collection."

Dr. Evil allowed Stella's attention for only a short time before he started to wiggle out of her hands. She then gasped, Billy barked out a laugh, and Ryuu went rigidly still. Riku made it up two steps before realizing something was wrong. He turned around to find his cousin glaring at nothing while a pair of fuzzy pointed ears appeared over his shoulder.

" _This is real fucking leather,"_  he said to the unconcerned kitten crawling up his back to perch on his shoulder. And then Dr. Evil licked a paw and settled himself between Ryuu's neck and shoulder.

"Oh yeah. Sure. Your mother fed him."

Ryuu turned around to face him, a nasty sarcastic comment on his tongue, because this was his favorite jacket which probably had claw marks in it now. But was stalled from saying anything by the soft look in the Irish's eyes. He really liked that look so kept his mouth shut.

Stella wasted no time in seizing an opportunity. She whipped out her phone and captured a picture. "I'm so selling this picture. You're okay with being the object of fantasy for hundreds of girls, right?"

"No."

Stella seemed not to pay attention to Ryuu as she slipped her phone away with a pleased sigh.

" _I'll delete it before the end of the night."_

Ryuu nodded to his cousin.

" _Told you she's a lot like Shane_ ," said Billy. " _Didn't even flinch when she saw your gun."_

" _Paralyzed with fear."_

" _You get off on that, don't you?"_

" _You don't?"_

Shane left the door open for them so Stella went in without waiting but the others paused on the threshold and knocked on the doorway. Jared appeared, nodded and called Tony and Shane over.

"In case anyone is watching," he told them quietly and went about introducing the four to each other. "Now the association is official."

"Great. You two come here," Billy said, grabbing Shane and Tony's arm and dragging them away from the others. "What the hell were you fecking doing the other night? Left your door wide open, ignored the alarm and then after it went off, FORGOT TO RESET IT before you took yourselves off to bed! Thank you, Billy, for setting it remotely while we fucked our brains out!"

Shane's ears caught fire and Tony's hand raised to rub the back of his neck. "I asked him to marry me. He said yes."

"Congratulations," Billy drawled sarcastically. "You wanna live long enough to make your wedding?"

"Sorry, Billy. We won't be careless again."

Shane did look contrite, and although Tony probably felt it, he clearly didn't appreciate being lectured.

"Say something to stoke my fire, mate," Billy taunted.

Tony looked beyond Billy to Jared, who stood behind his friend. He shook his head. "Yeah, sorry."

"You didn't watch us, did you?"

Billy did nothing but grin then, the lecturing over and done with. Tony narrowed his eyes, but instead of saying anything, left them to go say hello to Stella, who was in the kitchen trying to find any cups that might not have been packed yet. He'd noticed she distanced herself from the others as soon as she came in and it wasn't hard to figure out why.

"Relax," he said as he came to stand beside her. He dropped a kiss to her head before grabbing up his truck keys. "We're all friends here." Using a key, he opened one of three boxes lining the counter and drew out a cup. He turned around to the sink and filled it with water before handing it to her. Upon her look, he laughed. "I'm not going to give you wine and then sit you down behind the wheel of your car. I'm irresponsible, but not that irresponsible. We'll open the bottle at the house. You'll probably end up spending the night again anyway."

Stella's expression softened and she nodded. She then gestured to the six guys standing around talking in the living room. A girl's dream, that scene. "Tony, why does Riku, his cousin, and James have guns and why is everyone calling James by a different name? Billy? Why does he suddenly have that fantastic Irish accent? More importantly, I heard someone mention a wedding."

As one, the six guys turned to them and Stella tensed dramatically. Tony wound a comforting arm around her shoulders and grinned at Shane. "You're right. She really is sharp."

"Do I get an explanation?"

"Shane, you want to take this?" Jared asked.

"Uh, yeah. But… how much do you want me to say?"

"Everything." This from Riku.

" _You do not get to make that choice,"_ Ryuu stated with a hard look _. "You need to think, Riku._ "

"Are you sure you want to know?" was Billy's question to Stella.

She surprised them all by saying, "hell yes! Because Shane's one of the sweetest guys I know, and if he's acting like yall are all brothers, then something amazing is happening despite the weapons!"

Now she got a couple of weird looks. Shane was grinning. "You see why I love her?"

"You're from a small town too, huh?" Damien asked her.

Stella shrugged. "I try not to make it obvious."

"I wanna recruit her," Billy said.

Jared pointed a very rigid finger at him. "No."

"But you see how observant she is?!"

"No."

Shane went around to grab her hand and dragged her away down the hall into the bedroom. A short time later, Stella's excited screaming could be heard all over the apartment.

"Not the reaction I was expecting."

Tony grinned at Jared. "Shane just showed her the awesome ring his amazing boyfriend gave him."

"Fiancé."

His smile went dopey. "Yeah."

Damien started rubbing his hands together- he was not put off by the arm sling- and grinned maniacally. "And now the planning of three bachelor parties and a bridal shower!"

"Holy shit. You don't do things by halves, do you?" Billy grinned at Jared. "Well, boyo. Ready to throw in your lot too?"

Jared's gun was in hand almost instantly and pointed at his friend, while Damien tried to hide his sudden discomfort by joining Tony in the kitchen. At the same time, Billy ran to hide behind Ryuu, who quickly side stepped. He did not want to look down the barrel of Newton's pistol, thank you very much.

"Don't hide behind me."

"S'not like I'm gonna stab you in the back."

"I don't know that."

Billy narrowed his eyes. "I let you hold my gun."

Ryuu noticed the acute shock entering Jared's eyes at this declaration. "Hold on. You let him hold Snoopy?"

Riku snickered. "Snoopy?"

Billy ignored that, took his glasses off, and used the hem of his  _Battlestar Galactica_  t-shirt to clean the lenses.

"Billy, you don't let anyone hold that gun."

"Not even you?" Ryuu inquired.

"Not even me."

At this declaration, Ryuu turned to Billy while Damien and Tony shared a quick sharp grin.

"H-heya, aren't we here to move?" Billy quickly rounded, grabbed up the nearest two boxes and vacated the apartment as fast as he could. Jared grabbed a couple more boxes and as he followed his friend, shot an amazed look at Tony and Damien as he left. He was still fucking shocked.

Damien couldn't help but smirk. "Know anything about killer nerds, Ryuu?"

"Enough to know pots and pans was a stupid idea."

Riku burst out laughing.

"So Caleb and Mai should be here soon," Tony said to Damien as he taped the box on the counter. "Not sure when Sheera's showing up. Mimi and Conner… we should have this place cleared out in a couple hours with the amount of hands we have here now. Don't worry about it," he quickly said when Damien tried to grab a box. "You shouldn't use that arm anyway."

"It's fine, Tony."

"Just don't do anything. No one wants you to. Anyway, Miss D, Rose, and my mom are dropping by the house around dinner time. Rich and Jerry, maybe." Tony laughed. "The first thing Jerry's going to do is demand to see Shane's workout station. He'll probably want to run Shane's course around the neighborhood with him."

"Have you told them yet?"

"No. Shane wanted to, but I convinced him to wait on that."

"You better dish on the details, brute, since you went and did it stealth like."

"I will later. But dude. Something fucked up happened."

"The last time you said that concerning Shane, it was fucking hilarious."

"It turned out great, obviously, but damn I was pissed. You think your dad might show?"

"Who knows. But I'm hoping not. I want to chat with Miss D alone."

The devious look on his face did not bode well. "What are you planning?"

"Daddy and Miss D are stuck in an unknown area right now and it's just tragic to see Miss D making doe eyes at him and he's oblivious. What the hell is wrong with him?"

Tony shrugged and grabbed at the boxes.

"So what am I supposed to do while you all are working?" Damien demanded.

Ryuu walked over and dropped Dr. Evil onto the counter in front of him with a raised brow. "Kittensit."

"Oh my god, Ryuu. You are adorable."

"The kitten."

"No, it's you."

"You only get away with that because you are Shrod and I like you beyond business."

"Of course, hun," Damien replied with a wide smile. "You're gonna dance with me at the wedding, right?"

Tony shook his head, trying to hide the grin from the man who looked less than amused. Carrying a box, he walked down the hallway and poked his head into the bedroom. "You two going to help or stay in here gossiping all day?"

He then very wisely walked away before Shane could catch up and elbow him someplace painful.

"Asshole!"

* * *

"Where are you going?"

Billy cursed under his breath and let go of the doorknob. He turned to face Shane, wondering how the kid could have caught him trying to sneak away. He was being careful, dammit.

"Heya, just… you know…" he jerked his chin towards the door and held up his pack of fags. Shane looked unconvinced. "I helped ya move, yeah. I was here. No need for me to stick around. Hang out with your mates, kid. Your man's cooking up something beautiful on the grill. Go focus on that."

Shane laughed. "Ryuu's sticking around."

"And? What's that got to do with me?" Billy opened the door, fully intending to leave, caught or not. He was then supremely surprised when a hand slammed the door closed before he could leave. He turned back to Shane, one brow raised. "You've got some bollucks on ya."

"You're not leaving," Shane said firmly.

There was something different in his eyes that had Billy taking notice. Something hard, calculating. The kid wasn't going to let this go. Clearly he had a motive but the look in Shane's eyes indicated it wasn't what immediately came to Billy's mind. "What's going on? And don't give me that bull about wanting me to hang out."

"It's true."

"What else, Shane?" he demanded with an equally hard look. He could easily get out of this. All he had to do was make Shane uncomfortable. Make the kid want to kick him out. It wouldn't be hard on his part. The guy was a looker after all. He'd made himself comfortable with young ones before. Though of course they had all been willing. This would be different, but that was the point. Still, he didn't want to do that. Not with this one.

"Just don't go yet."

The look was gone; like it hadn't ever been there. But Billy wouldn't soon forget what he saw. "Not good enough."

"How were you getting home anyway?"

"Steal a car," Billy answered truthfully. "I'll have it back to the owner tomorrow."

"Jared's?"

"I want to die in an amazing fire fight, Shane. Not by being blown away by my best mate because I stole his brand-new love token." Shane snorted out a laugh. "He didn't bring that sexy beast anyway. Probably Stella's. Nice try on changing the subject."

"What about fight lessons?"

"Shouldn't Tony be the one to do that?"

Shane grinned. "He has. Is. But I'm thinking you know things that I could use since I'm not exactly as muscular as he is. Not afraid to admit he's stronger than me. He's stronger but I'm smarter."

Billy snorted, shook his head. Yeah, he did like this kid. "Fine. Let me go smoke first, unless you want me smoking in your house."

Shane nodded and opened the door for him. Billy stepped out and was only half surprised Shane followed him out. "Jaysus, no trust."

Shane shrugged. "Why do you say that when you're pagan?"

"Brilliant question. Not many point that out. It's just something I've been saying since before turning to Paganism. Old habits."

Well he wasn't going to get an answer from the kid why it was so important he stuck around. He'd find out eventually. Billy could see Shane staring at the side of his face. "I don't understand any one of you," he murmured in confession. "Met any of the neighbors yet?"

"No. But I bet you know all about them already."

"Sure. A nice couple on your left. Young with a one year old daughter. To your right is a single woman with two cats, hamster, birds, and a weird obsession with art featuring gross things. Next to her… three roommates, blokes. Ya might want to keep your distance. From what I've seen, wankers. They won't like ya as soon as they realize you and Tony aren't just roomies."

"Great."

"Though I have to admit to looking forward to seeing Tony lose his temper with them."

"Don't encourage him, Billy. It's been a while since he's been in a fight. Last time was with Jared."

"Sure, I know. Dec told me. That's why I want to see. Dec's impressed with Tony's skills."

"Yeah, he did knock him out."

"You know how hard that is to do? Surprised or not."

A car slowly pulled up to the curb in one of the only remaining spots left near the house. Shane recognized it as Aunt Rose's vehicle.

"Your mums are here," Billy announced when the passenger doors opened, revealing Daisy and Tony's mother, shortly followed by Rose.

Shane cursed. "Oh man. Oh man oh man oh man…"

Billy watched him curiously. Clearly the guy was in distress as he ripped off the engagement ring and shoved it deep down into his pocket. Shane spun around and disappeared into the house without another word. Billy thought he could use this opportunity to finally slip away. But he didn't.

As he watched the sisters and Tony's mom walking up the pathway, he thought he could still do his job here. Declan was positive no one here was feeding Tarrington information, but he had yet to decide on that. Sheera's parents were very close to Damien, same went for Tony's mum, and it would be easy for them to feed the bitch information on his mental states. He didn't think they would, but he wasn't one hundred percent sure on that yet.

He watched the three chatting, detailed the sisters' differences. Clearly Daisy was the younger. By looks and dress. She barely looked old enough to have an eighteen-year-old child. Daisy was an attractive woman still and it was clear her past marriage with the dead beat had not squashed her spirit. Rose appeared to be a little more conservative than the other two. In dress and manner, but that could have to do with her age difference to her sister. Regardless of that difference, their closeness was apparent. Lauretta appeared to get along well with both.

When they reached him, he greeted them politely, introduced himself as James Reynolds- a work associate- and told them everyone had congregated to the back yard. Daisy already knew who he was to a degree, but she acted as if this was the first time they met. He was sure Shrod coached her about all this.

Following them inside and then into the back, he noticed people were spread out across the yard. Tony was on the patio with Caleb, Damien, and Jared. Shane wasn't anywhere in sight.

"Shane saw his mother coming and bolted," he murmured quietly to Tony once reaching his side. The man immediately looked around for his fiancé and when he didn't see him stepped back from the grill and disappeared into the house. Caleb and Jared headed for the grill to take over.

"Man, get away," Caleb said to Jared. "What the hell do you know about grilling? They do a lot of that in England?"

Billy laughed at the look on Dec's face. "Nah. They do a lot of pinkie lifting and caviar tasting."

Caleb nodded seriously and hovered over the grill possessively.

"What's wrong with Shane?" asked Damien after taking Jared's balled up hand and patting it lovingly. Jared couldn't pull his gun on Billy right now with all the people in the yard. In fact everyone who came with a weapon had been made by Shane to store then in the master bedroom closet. Well, all the weapons he knew about.

"I don't think he thought about his mum's reaction to the upcoming announcement until this very moment."

Shane hadn't and now he was sitting on his bed with his head in his hands, freaking out.

"Baby?"

"She is going to kill you. And then she'll look at me all disappointed. And then she'll make a demand that we call it off until I'm older or something, or get so mad she'll move back to that godforsaken town!"

"Maybe that's something you want to do… call it off."

Shane jumped to his feet, looking more outraged than anything now. "Tony! No! You can't take it b-back!"

"Shane." The man closed the distance and took Shane by the back of his neck, drawing him closer. Dropping a soft, chaste, and calming kiss to those lips that he loved. "Not taking back anything. I'm thinking of you. I want what's best for you."

"You! You're what's best for me! I wouldn't have said yes if I wasn't sure. It's not like I said yes without thinking about it. I thought about it long before you asked me."

"You did?"

"You brought it up at Christmas. Been thinking about it since then. Just… it started as what if and then evolved into when and for sure." He grinned. "Whether you wanted or not."

"Nice, Shane."

Shane pressed against him. "What? I just know what's best for you."

"So put your ring back on and man up."

Shane heard what Tony wasn't saying, what he was trying hard to hide. The anxiety brought on by seeing Shane was hiding the ring. Immediately he dug out the ring and put it back on. It did feel better, the weight of the ring on him again.

"You're overreacting, by the way. I don't think your mom is going to react as badly as you're assuming."

"You're kidding, right? After her marriage-"

"Shane, this is different and she'll know it." Tony took a breath. "And I might have already received a blessing from her during Christmas break."

"That's an important piece of information, dude!"

"Information not relevant until now." Tony grabbed one last kiss before they had to go back out before their absence became rude behavior. "You ready to do this now? Or later?"

"Now, I guess. Better to get it over and done with…"

"Hey, if I need to I will grovel at her feet until she says it's okay. And there's my mom. You know my mom loves you. She'll sweet talk Miss D for me."

A bright smile erupted across Shane's face. He did a sort of bounce and before Tony knew it he had a pair of strong legs wrapped around him and he was falling forward. Luckily the bed was right there. Unfortunately, Tony didn't get a chance to enjoy the new position.

The door was thrown open just after that. A throat was cleared and then, "Um EXCUSE ME! I know I've taught you two better. You have GUESTS!"

Shane snickered against Tony's amazing neck, and then inhaled deeply. His fiancé smelled fantastic. Smelled like BBQ. He didn't say this however because if he did, Tony's mind would drop further down into the bottomless pit of perverseness and they'd never get off the bed. Meanwhile, Tony was thinking he could still tap this ass over and over again and he was going to get to do that for the rest of their lives.

Shane wiggled underneath him. That didn't help. "Not now, dude. Who'd you leave in charge of the meat?"

"Saw Caleb and Jared heading for the grill."

"Jared?! Seriously."

Damien laughed at the doorway. "You guys do realize they know how to barbeque across the way too, right?"

"The man can't even play video games, Damien," was Shane's response as Tony reluctantly climbed off him.

"But he is oh so very good at playing  _games_." The three shared wicked smirks. "Anyway, your moms are wondering where the hell you went. And… I think you should keep an eye on Stella and Riku, cutie."

"Why?"

Tony went in for another kiss but Damien shoved him out of the room with a 'shoo!'

"I thought you liked Riku."

"I do. But… I'm fond of Stella also and I don't think she gets it."

Understanding, Shane nodded. "She does to a degree. She already knows he's Yakuza. Knows he's here temporarily and will eventually return to Japan. She's not looking for forever here, Damien. She's looking only for fun, for new things. In this way, we're different. She will come away from this feeling her horizons have been broadened."

"You two have talked about this in length, huh?"

"Yeah. Like you, I didn't want her getting the wrong idea. Anyway, nothing's happened yet, so maybe we're being premature. Jumping to conclusions and sticking our noses into something that doesn't concern us."

"You don't really feel that way."

"If I can, I will make sure everyone I love is protected no matter what. Even if that means keeping hostages who don't like parties."

Damien laughed. "That's why Billy's still here!"

"Yeah. He tried sneaking away. I wouldn't let him."

As they left the room and headed back outside, Damien announced, "he is not comfortable." Shane nodded in agreement.

Daisy appeared in front of them before they could make it outside. Damien hugged her before moving on, leaving Shane alone with his mother.

"The house looks great, baby!" She exclaimed while hugging him. He returned her embrace before hiding his hands behind his back.

"Still needs some work."

"Oh sure. It'll take some time before a house evolves into a well-loved home. But you and Tony will get there." The smile he gave her was kind of strained and Daisy took notice immediately. "Sweetie?"

"Mom. I need to tell you something… or, Tony and I have an announcement, but…"

"In an alternate reality, this would be the part where you tell me he knocked you up. And then I would have to borrow one of Damien's antique shotguns… or Richard's."

It took a second before laughter burst out of his mouth. "Oh my God, Mom!"

"What is with your family and shotguns?" Tony questioned as he walked back in, being made aware by Damien that Daisy cornered her son.

"Okay, so… Mom, remember when I came out to you? When I was fifteen. And you were okay with it but you were upset also because you thought I wouldn't ever be able to marry. It wasn't legal yet. And you were scared for me too. And then when I was seventeen and they passed the law allowing same-sex marriages and we had a small celebration, just the two of us…and you've just been amazing…"

Shane was so nervous he didn't really register the soft look on his mother's face, but Tony did. She knew what was coming.

"Baby," Daisy whispered, stepping up to him and cradling his face in her hands. She looked into his eyes. She had to tilt her face up a fraction, which was something new. "Baby, did Tony ask you to marry him?"

"Yes."

"And did you say yes?"

He nodded.

"And are you afraid I'll beat him to within an inch of his life?"

"Y-yeah. You always said-"

"Oh honey." She abruptly hugged him, so tightly. "That was me. Not you. And Tony is certainly not your father." Daisy looked at Tony and he pointed at Shane and mouthed, 'he's about to cry'. Daisy nodded and laughed. She pressed a kiss to her beautiful boy's cheek before pulling away. "Just a minute, Shane." And then she took off to the backyard.

Shane stood there stiffly, hardly daring to breathe. Quickly he dashed a hand across his eyes and looked in the opposite direction of where Tony was standing beside him. Tony did the wise thing and stepped behind him before hugging him, knowing Shane  _did not_  anyone to see him crying again.

Daisy shortly returned with Lauretta. The two didn't even pause when reaching them. Lauretta ripped Shane out of her son's arms and squeezed the life out of him. Lauretta was crying, happily, and Shane then realized his mom wasn't mad at all, considering she was hugging Tony and saying lots of excited nonsense.

"You're okay with it?"

"Mom wanted me to marry you anyway," Tony laughed as he hugged his future mother-in-law. He was unsurprised to see her eyes wet.

"I am so happy for you two," Daisy went on, going back to her son, taking his face in her hands again. "The only reason I would be against this is if you said you planned to drop out of school. But I know you won't. You two have future plans and they are together plans so I'm not worried."

Shane eyed his mother shrewdly. "Aunt Rose warned you, didn't she?"

Daisy pulled back with a cute smile. "Rose, Jerry, Damien also…. Lauretta, have you seen the whole place? Shall we look around, see if they need anything? Oh! We need to make a registry."

"Shit," Tony muttered as he watched them go off down the hall.

"That went great!" Shane exclaimed as he grabbed Tony's hand, back to his usual happy self. "Let's go tell everyone else… and eat. That smell. I'm starving."

"There's a big fat sausage that has your name on it."

Shane laughed. "You should stand over the grill naked next time."

"See? You totally egg me on!"

They were nearly outside when they heard an outraged shout. "SHANE WILLIAMSON! YOU AND TONY GET INTO YOUR ROOM RIGHT NOW!" and that was followed by enraged Italian shouting.

"Jesus, they rummaged through the closet."

"Fuck."

* * *

To be continued....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed. Have a great day :D


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